Attorney general: Knowledge key tool to fight crime

MADISON — Attorney General Bill Mims says dealing with Virginia’s gang problem is an issue that requires cooperation at every level of law enforcement and among every segment of the community.
Mims shared the message Thursday morning at the Battlefield-Piedmont Regional Triad Conference at the Madison County Volunteer Fire Co. About 100 senior citizens, community leaders and law enforcement officials attended.

Although gang activity is not a crime that’s typically associated with older people, Mims said awareness is one of the most important tools in avoiding all types of crime.

“To the extent that seniors are educated about the gang issues or any criminal issue, they are then able to prevent it oftentimes on their own,” Mims said during a break in the program. “That’s what the Triad program is a perfect example of — the knowledge that they gain helps them to avoid crime.”

Triad was established in 1988 when three national organizations — the AARP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriffs’ Association — agreed that they could better serve senior citizens by combining their efforts.

In dealing with gangs, Mims said, “Putting into place tough criminal laws is the first step and an important step, but it can’t be the only step.”

First, the attorney general advised, every community statewide must understand that gangs are not strictly an urban problem. Second, communities must address the “fertile ground” that allows gang activity to flourish.

That fertile ground, Mims said, is the fact that kids as young as 10 sometimes see a gang as the only community or family they can relate to.

“What we have to do is find strategies so that they do not feel drawn to that community or that family. We have to work with a lot of local partners in order to really address that need for community and that need for family that draws young people in.”

The General Assembly selected Mims to replace Republican candidate for governor Bob McDonnell, who stepped down from the attorney general’s post in February to campaign full time. Mims’ term expires in January, and he is not seeking re-election.

Speaking immediately before Mims, Jennifer Aulgur, the Triad and Citizen Outreach Director, shared some other typical scams likely to befall older people.

In one she dubbed the grandparents scam, Aulgur said the victim is usually awakened late at night by an unexpected phone call. The caller purports to be a young family member who explains that he or she is caught in a distressful situation like a car accident or sudden medical emergency. The caller then asks the victim to wire money.

In another, Aulgur warned seniors to beware of auto warranty scams. In these cases, which are usually perpetrated through the mail, the victim receives an unsolicited notice telling them that their car warranty is about to expire and that they should send in money to renew coverage that they never had to begin with.

In most cases, Aulgur said, the warranty “isn’t worth the piece of paper it’s printed on.”

Citing a few more scam examples, Aulgur said a good piece of advice to everyone is to keep on top of their financial, personal and family affairs as best they can.

“I share that with you not to scare you,” she said, “but we just see a lot of this going around. It’s kind of sad when you hear this happening.”