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   This month we are excited to announce that we are looking forward to hosting our first TRIAD meeting, which is set for June 27th at 10:00 a.m. After a pause due to the COVID pandemic and other restrictions, reorganizing our TRIAD group is a priority for our office in 2024. The meeting will be held at the Hackensack Hub located at 213 First St, Hackensack, MN 56452. We have reserved the Hub from 10:00 a.m. to noon on this day. We are looking forward to the opportunity to introduce ourselves and discuss the future of the TRIAD program in Cass County!

   The main purpose of TRIAD is to promote Senior Safety and to reduce the fear of crime that seniors often experience. TRIAD is a partnership of 3 organizations:  

   • Law Enforcement

   • Senior Citizens 

   • Community Groups

   TRIAD has benefits for both seniors and law enforcement.  Law Enforcement assists seniors by letting them get to know their local law enforcement and bringing them information to protect them and others in their communities.   Seniors assist law enforcement by being “the eyes and ears” out in the communities.

   Crimes targeting older adults are different in that victims are sought out because of perceived vulnerabilities. Working together, TRIAD volunteers develop and implement crime prevention and education programs for older adults.

   TRIAD is not an acronym; it simply represents a group of three.  TRIAD’s goal at its inception, as now, is to reduce crime against the elderly, and to reduce the fear of crime that seniors often experience.  To achieve this goal, TRIAD promotes and facilitates ongoing information exchange between law enforcement, community groups/senior providers and the older adults they serve.

   Ideas from the elderly, as well as their time and efforts as volunteers, are vital to TRIAD success.  S.A.L.T. (Seniors and Law Enforcement Working Together) members, working with experienced capable volunteers, create effective solutions for many problems faced by the elderly.

   An Annual State TRIAD Conference is held each fall. One of the most important parts of the State Conference is the Best Practices session, which allows counties to share what they are doing to enhance senior safety in their counties and for other counties to learn new ideas, networking and collaboration! Another important benefit is developing the relationships between senior citizens, senior providers and law enforcement throughout the state. 

   TRIAD was formed in 1988 when American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) came together in an attempt to define a way to help keep seniors safe from crime. (Information shared from MN TRIAD website at mnsheriffs.org)

By meeting locally, we will again have the opportunity to engage our senior population and issues affecting them, including scams, safety issues, fraud, etc. If you have any ideas on what kind of presentations or trainings you would like to see offered, please bring your ideas for discussion at the meeting. We look forward to seeing everyone.   

   If you have specific questions that you would like answered in this column or in person, please feel free to contact me anytime using one of the following methods:

Email: 

[email protected]

Phone: 

218-547-1424 | 1-800-450-2677

By Mail/In Person:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office

303 Minnesota Ave W

PO Box 1119

 Walker MN 56484

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