'Safe Seniors Camera Program:' DOJ offers hidden cameras to help expose abuse of elderly

GREEN BAY – Attorney General Brad Schimel on Tuesday, Feb. 6 announced the beginning of “Safe Seniors Camera Program,” a new pilot project to help concerned loved ones stop suspected in-home caregivers from abusing elderly and disabled patients.

According to a news release from the DOJ, the new program allows Wisconsin residents, who suspect a caregiver is abusing their loved one, to use a covert camera to provide surveillance over someone who may have been harmed by a caregiver in their residence.

“One in nine seniors have reported being abused, neglected or exploited in the last twelve months, but we also know that elder abuse is drastically underreported. There’s nothing worse than feeling helpless when a loved one is being taken advantage of,” said Schimel in the release. “These cameras will either give peace of mind to a patient’s family or provide needed evidence to allow law enforcement and public health to immediately intervene and protect the abused patient.”

The DOJ will provide DOJ-owned cameras and memory cards, through local partner law enforcement agencies, to a community member who contacts the DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation and signs a contract. Participants will receive a camera and memory card for up to 30 days, and are required to, on a daily basis, save any recordings and notify a local law enforcement agency or DCI of any recordings that the resident believes may depict illegal conduct.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has had success stopping abuse through a similar hidden-camera program, according to the release.

Members of the following communities can contact DOJ at 608-267-1313 to begin the application process:

Schimel’s administration has prioritized elder abuse and launched the Attorney General’s Task Force on Elder Abuse in August 2017.

In January, Schimel launched a radio ad campaign to raise awareness about elder abuse and encourage citizens to report abuse against seniors at Medicaid-funded or other senior care facilities.

To report suspected financial, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, please contact your county elder adult-at-risk agency or call 1-800-488-3780. If you witness an act of abuse, neglect, or exploitation that requires immediate attention, please call 911.