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Friday, March 07, 2003

By David Templeton, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

After the idea arose during a National District Attorneys Association meeting in November, Washington County District Attorney John Pettit headed home with the inspiration to start an advocacy program for elderly crime victims.

During a news conference yesterday, he announced the hiring of a county advocate for the elderly and a new program to help victims of abuse, financial scams and other crimes.

David Hammond, 63, a retired school teacher from North Franklin, will work part time as the county advocate at an annual salary of $10,500.

His duties will include presenting crime prevention and safety programs at senior citizen centers, working with police in dealing with crimes against elderly residents, accompanying victims through court proceedings and serving as liaison for elderly victims of family abuse who fear dealing with police.

Hammond also will work with other county officials, police and agencies for the aged to create a network to assist crime victims.

Pettit, a National District Attorneys Association director, said a group from California gave a presentation about an advocacy program to help elderly crime victims. It inspired him, he said, to hire Hammond, a longtime friend, and launch the program for Washington County and its 83,300 residents older than 60. Bucks County has the only other program in the state, he said.

The Jan. 26 home invasion in Peters, in which an elderly couple was assaulted by four men posing as gas company workers, highlights the need for the program, he said. Freda Dale, 89, of Venetia Road, died of a heart attack during the invasion. Her death was ruled a homicide. Her husband, Shannon Dale, 90, was severely beaten.

Pettit said the advocacy program will help address the troublesome trend of home invasions, financial scams targeting the elderly, and physical and financial abuse that children, grandchildren and others commit against older family members. His office will circulate brochures to describe and promote the program.

"We have [county] programs to fight violence against women, to assist juveniles and a drug task force, but there is nothing to assist senior citizens in all walks of life," Pettit said. "We know there is a problem in this county."

Police chiefs attending the news conference, including John Pushak of Cecil, Harry Fruecht of Peters and John Haddad of Washington, Pa., agreed the program would focus attention on a critical issue.

"It's a good idea," Fruecht said, adding that there were no new leads in the Dale home-invasion case. "You only have to listen to the media and look at newspapers to see what's happening."