Public Safety Committee Approves Stronger Measures to Protect Seniors
Published on August 20, 2024
Public Safety Committee Approves Stronger Measures to Protect Seniors from Abuse and Neglect
SAN ANTONIO (August 20, 2024)–The City of San Antonio has taken a bold step to enhance the protection of its senior citizens. A proposal led by Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda received support from the Public Safety Committee, requiring public facing City Departments—including the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), Fire Department (SAFD), Human Services (DHS), Neighborhood and Housing Services (NHSD), Metro Health, Code Enforcement, and Animal Care Services (ACS)—to report any suspected cases of elder abuse and neglect directly to Texas Adult Protective Services (APS).
This enhanced collaboration underscores the City’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding its elderly population. It strengthens existing practices by mandating that all City employees who interact with seniors must report any suspicions of abuse or neglect to APS immediately. The SAPD, which already collaborates closely with APS through its Special Victims Unit, Homicide, and Crisis Response Teams, will now ensure this critical partnership extends across all relevant City departments.
To further support this initiative, the Department of Human Services' Senior Services Division will work with APS to develop a robust training program for City employees. This training will be mandatory for staff in departments like SAPD, SAFD, DHS, NHSD, Metro Health, Parks and Recreation, 311, the City Attorney’s Office, Code Enforcement, and ACS—especially those who have frequent interactions with seniors. The training will focus on equipping employees with the skills needed to recognize and report signs of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation promptly and effectively.
Councilmember Cabello Havrda emphasized the broader significance of this policy, stating, "Our senior citizens have dedicated their lives to building our community; now it’s our turn to ensure their safety. This policy ensures that all City employees who interact with seniors are not only trained to recognize abuse and neglect but are also required to take immediate action by reporting these cases to APS. This is a crucial step in protecting some of our most vulnerable residents, and we look forward to it being an integral part of a broader, intergovernmental approach to safeguarding our elderly. With Bexar County and the State of Texas also working on similar issues, this policy is a vital piece in our collective effort to protect vulnerable populations."
The City of San Antonio will begin implementing this policy immediately, with the goal of rolling out the training across all relevant departments by the end of the year.