Financial Abuse of Elderly Rising Fast, Report Says : Crime: LAPD document calls for greater support for two-detective team investigating such cases.

Reported incidents of financial abuse involving older people have skyrocketed in Los Angeles over the last six years, increasing the demands on the small police unit that handles such cases, according to a Los Angeles Police Department report.

The report details the work of the Elderly Persons Estate Unit (EPEU), a unique, two-detective team responsible for investigating cases in which the entire estate of an older person or a dependent adult is at risk.

The document recommends that the department “take whatever steps necessary to adequately staff and support the EPEU with budgeted positions.”

“These crimes are very devastating to elders,” said Detective Chayo Reyes, the unit’s lead investigator. “You’re talking about people who are losing their homes and life savings.”

Reyes declined to comment on how many more detectives his unit could use or at what cost until after the Los Angeles Police Commission has reviewed the report. The commission is scheduled to discuss the document at its meeting Tuesday.

According to the report, the EPEU is the only task force of its kind in the nation. Since its creation in 1987, it has recovered or prevented the loss of $31 million worth of property.

Over the years, the number of calls reporting suspected financial abuse has increased from 5 to 10 a day to the current average of 35, the report states. The unit, which is part of the LAPD’s Bunco-Forgery Division, handles cases throughout the city.

“Due to the daily demands for service and newly reported incidents, it is becoming more and more difficult for the two EPEU detectives to prepare these complex investigations involving extensive documentation for criminal filing,” the report states.

The nature of the crimes and the physical and mental condition of the victims only increase the painstaking nature of the investigations, Reyes said.

Often the victims are suffering from diminished mental capacity. In many instances the suspects are relatives or other individuals who have won the confidence of the older person and exploited their trust to pilfer money and property.

“In some cases, they don’t know they’re a victim,” Reyes said.

And sometimes older people may be reluctant to report abuse for fear of losing their independence or the companionship of a suspect who has befriended them.

“In some cases they know they’re a victim, but they’d rather have that company than no company at all,” Reyes said.

Often, calls reporting suspected abuse come from concerned individuals, neighbors, relatives, church and synagogue members or even bank officials who notice a change in activity in an older person’s account.

“They’re the first line of defense in protecting the elders from being financially abused,” Reyes said.

Reyes and his partner, Dave Harned, have investigated more than 500 cases of financial abuse, and have had “a 99% conviction rate on major cases filed with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office,” the report states.

Much of the team’s success has depended on the detectives’ ability to network with other agencies, Reyes said. The pair are part of the Fiduciary Abuse Specialist Team, established by the Los Angeles County Department of Aging. Through the team, the detectives meet with representatives of the Los Angeles district attorney’s office, Adult Protective Services, bankers, doctors and others who come in contact with older people.

“We work together to get the information to show how the elders lost their property--the paper trail” Reyes said.

The detectives work closely with Ardith Javan, who heads the district attorney’s elder abuse section.

The report cites one case involving an elderly former judge who was the victim of financial abuse; details of what happened weren’t provided. Another case investigated by Reyes’ team involved a live-in care giver who stole $500,000 in cash, jewelry and clothing from an 86-year-old widow on the Westside.

But with only two detectives, the unit has not been able to fully investigate many cases.

“Currently, the EPEU detectives carry at least 15 major cases each and there are another 20 plus cases in which EPEU has secured the victim’s estate from further loss but are unable to investigate due to the lack of personnel,” the report states.

The increase in reports of financial abuse follows a statewide trend, largely due to the burgeoning elderly population.

According to the California Department of Aging, the number of confirmed cases of financial abuse involving older people increased 46% between 1989 and 1993, the last year for which statistics are available.

Nationwide, according to the report, California has the largest population of older people--3.1 million. Los Angeles County alone has more than 1 million.

As people live longer, “you have a larger group of potential victims,” Reyes said.