A case study of the Edmonton Police Service’s response to senior abuse

Seniors safety, including the elimination of neglect, abuse and violence against older persons (hereafter referred to as “senior abuse”), is a national and international priority. In order to develop evidence-based solutions, data on the nature and extend of senior abuse are required. As law enforcement agencies are engaged to respond to some incidents of senior abuse, partnerships with police services can help shed light on what date are collected and how they are used. Justice Canada collaborated with the Edmonton Police Service’s (EPS) Senior Protection Unit to examine data collection practices and responses to senior abuse in Edmonton, Alberta. Alberta has adopted a coordinated community response (CCR) model to help address senior abuse. Under a CCR model, community organizations and service providers collaborate to offer people-centred services for seniors and families of seniors affected by abuse. The goal is to connect clients with the appropriate supports and interventions with respect to housing, finances, legal aid, court support, health services, counselling, and dispute resolution. In Edmonton, the CCR model includes triaging senior abuse cases according to risk level, with the Elder Abuse Resources and Supports Program (EARS) managing low- to medium-risk cases, and the Seniors Protection Partnership (SPP) managing high-risk cases. The EPS’s Senior Protection Unit has dedicated detectives who handle complex and serious senior abuse cases and work in partnership with the SPP, the team managing high-risk cases, while also referring lower-risk cases to EARS, when appropriate. This case study examined 691 senior abuse incidents or suspicions (hereafter referred to as “reports”) from 2015 to 2021, identified using two data sources: the SPP database and the Edmonton Police Reporting and Occurrence System (EPROS), a record management system used by the EPS. This represents all senior abuse reports that came to the attention of the Senior Protection Unit during this period. The study also included two group interviews with 10 key informants, including detectives from the Senior Protection Unit, representatives from the City of Edmonton, and community service providers who are members of Edmonton’s Elder Abuse Consultation Team via the SPP.