Sheriff's office offers space for seniors to learn to stop crime

Feb. 25—The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office is working alongside several community organizations to actively reduce the criminal victimization of older adults.

Seniors and Law Enforcement Together, or SALT, is an advisory group that works within Triad, a national partnership that connects seniors with law enforcement.

Kim Lopez, a lieutenant sheriff who oversees SALT for the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.

Over the next 10 months, Lopez will meet with older adults at different locations in Cleveland County to bring awareness to the partnership's mission and provide information that will help them from being criminally victimized, and how to look out for others.

"So basically, it's taking one hour a month and pouring knowledge into the seniors so that they are not victimized," she said.

Lopez refers to seniors as natural crime stoppers because they take the time to carefully observe what is going on in their communities. She said they are more likely to read the local newspaper, and they are more likely to voice concerns about crime in the community.

"They have a deep-seated commitment to report everything that they see and witness right up until the time they're victimized, and then they don't want to waste our time, and we have to correct that," she said.

Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason said he made a promise to bring back Triad when he ran for office because protecting seniors is among his top priorities.

"The most vulnerable in our society are our seniors and our children, and those are the ones that I really want to focus on in protecting," Amason said. "I wanted to push these programs, so seniors could learn about these things and hear it from a reputable source rather than searching for answers on the internet. If the information is coming from a law enforcement officer that they trust in, they'll pay attention and listen, and it can change lives."

Sue Beggs, widow of former Cleveland County Sheriff F. DeWayne Beggs, who brought Triad to Oklahoma in 1993, attends SALT meetings as a concerned citizen, and said they are important for the safety of older adults.

"It's important because it teaches you how to protect yourself when you are out in public," Beggs said. "If you see something, say something. You just have to be more aware of where you are and what you are doing. It is something everyone needs to know."

On March 24, 1998, Lopez created the first Oklahoma-based county-wide Triad cooperative agreement in Cleveland County.

The most common crime committed against seniors right now is romance scams, according to Lopez. She said that during the pandemic many seniors were introduced to iPads, iPhones, tablets, and computers to connect with loved ones, and criminals are taking advantage of seniors who are learning how to use their devices, and few of these romance scams are taking place on designated dating apps. Lopez said top apps for scammers are Facebook, Google and Instagram, followed by popular gaming apps.

"And so, a grandson will say, 'Hey grandma, get on Words with Friends, and I can play you during my recess or break or whatever,'" she said. "And then the criminals took advantage and were getting them through Words with Friends."

Lopez talked to one senior who believed someone she met online was going to attack her and burn down her house if she didn't continue to give them money.

"I had to say, 'Honey, they are in another country.' But she really believed them," Lopez said. "She believed if she wasn't gonna give them any more money that they were going to retaliate."

In SALT, the woman learned how to recognize scammers and how to work with the police after she was victimized.

"It's so sad. It took a while to convince her that she really was being victimized," Lopez said.

In SALT, participants are taught little tricks to protect themselves in public, such as carrying a couple of checks in their purses, rather than bringing an entire check book, and placing their wallets in their front pockets instead of their back pockets.

In her discussions, Lopez also goes through scenarios if the seniors have to go up against a criminal in a parking lot who is demanding their valuables.

"So we set them up already having a plan to know exactly what to do and where the hotspots are," she said.

SALT meetings are held regularly every month.

—Norman SALT, first Wednesday at 10 a.m., Norman Seniors Center, 329 S. Peters.

—Rivermont SALT, first Thursday at 10:30 a.m., Rivermont Independent Living, 800 S. Canadian Trails Drive.

—North County SALT, first Friday at 10 a.m., First Moore Baptist Church, 301 NE 27th St., enter west doors.

—Little Axe SALT, first Tuesday at 10 a.m., Cornerstone Indian Baptist Church, 17020 E. Tecumseh Road.

—Moore SALT, second Thursday at 10 a.m., Brand Senior Center, 501 E. Main St.

—Langley Village SALT, second Friday at 10 a.m., Langley Village, 300 N. Turner Ave., Moore.

—Noble SALT, third Wednesday at 10:45 a.m., Noble Senior Center, 600 E. McGuire Road.

—Slaughterville SALT, third Wednesday at 1 p.m., Slaughterville Town Hall, 10701 US Hwy 77.

—Grace Pointe SALT, fourth Thursday at 10 a.m., Grace Pointe Independent Living, 1501 Grace Pointe Drive.

—Silver Elm SALT, fourth Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., Silver Elm Estates, 2100 NW 36th Ave.