Law Enforcement Knowledge of Elder Laws and Beliefs about Aging

As agencies of last resort, police officers o f today are often called upon to serve as both counselor and gatekeeper to an array o f social services for older adults. Unfortunately, there is little to no training available to law enforcement as to what aging resources are available, how to access them, or the referral processes. Furthermore, the scarcity of research on the knowledge base of first responders or biases they may hold makes designing appropriate training curricula problematic. Utilizing a survey that included Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz, I examined Salt Lake area law enforcement officers' attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of aging. By correlating these findings with demographic characteristics including experiences in law enforcement, I was able to show officers across all demographic variables have very little understanding of aging and the aging process. Overall, the sample of officers demonstrated age bias and low comprehension of laws specific to older persons. The knowledge base of officers was found to be similar to that of social workers, health-care providers, and college students. These findings suggest training protocols need to be augmented or instituted to both debunk many aging stereotypes and better prepare officers to respond to the needs of those they serve.