By Jeff Humphrey / KXLY4 Reporter
SPOKANE -- With cases of elder abuse on the rise, the Spokane Police Department has received a $380K grant from the Department of Justice to combat the problem.
Eighty-five-year-old Ira Holcomb was allegedly attacked by his own daughter with a pair of scissors. Michael Bourassa left his grandmother rot to death in her bed. Earlier this week Lacey Sell and Cory Morse were arrested after allegedly stealing medication patches from elderly residents at long-term care facilities right off their bodies.
In the past year Spokane has been rocked by several high-profile cases of what happens to seniors when they become isolated from their doctors and families. Now police are hoping a new grant will help them do a better job of finding out what's happening behind closed doors.
A large portion of the DOJ grant will be geared toward teaching police officers and first responders some red flags to look at to hopefully prevent or curb further victimization. Those red flags can be obscured by intimidation, embarrassment or family loyalty.
Investigators are hoping this new grant will help them detect an increase in elder fraud as a failing economy forces adults to move back in with their parents.
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