REMARKS
Council Member Yusef Salaam's opening remarks on elder fraud and identity theft
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179 sec
Council Member Yusef Salaam, chair of the Committee on Public Safety, delivers opening remarks for a joint hearing on elder fraud and identity theft. He emphasizes the importance of addressing these crimes, outlines the goals of the hearing, and introduces related legislation.
- Discusses the impact of elder fraud on individuals, families, and communities
- Highlights the need to understand current efforts in public education, reporting processes, and law enforcement tools
- Introduces Introduction 1101, which aims to enhance NYPD's efforts in handling identity theft complaints and investigations
Yusef Salaam
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Good morning.
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I'm Council memo Youssef Salam, chair of the committee on public safety.
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I wanna thank Council memo Hudson, chair of the Aging Committee for co chairing this important hearing on elder floor.
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Elder fraud.
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Elder fraud and identity theft has mentioned are insidious crimes that prey on the trust and vulnerabilities of older adults, often leading to devastating financial losses, and emotional distress.
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These crimes impact the individuals, who fall victim, their families, and our communities.
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They undermine the safety and security that we strive to provide for all New Yorkers.
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Today, we will hear from representatives of the New York City police department and other experts who are on the front lines of addressing these issues.
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We will explore the current efforts to keep the public informed about the various ways people may seek to take advantage of them and how they can best protect themselves their money and their property.
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We also wanna have a better understanding of how the public is informed about what to do when they suspect someone is targeting them or after they have been victimized.
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We wanna know what proof People need to put together where they should go to report what has happened, seek justice, file claims, and protect their assets.
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We wanna hear from the NYPD.
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What the steps are for reporting elder fraud.
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The challenges faced by victims in navigating the system and how to get needed support.
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It is essential that we understand the tools available to our law enforcement agencies as well as any gaps that exist in their current practices.
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Additionally, the public safety committee will be hearing related legislation, introduction number, 1101 sponsored by myself in Sheraton.
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This bill seeks to enhance existing efforts and will and would require the NYPD to establish certain information on its website regarding the process of reporting alleged identity theft, including information on what documentation is needed to file related complaints to file related complaints.
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The NYPD would also be required to train officers on receiving complaints and investigations alleged identity theft and related department policies.
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At the end of the day, we wanna work alongside the NYPD.
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DFTA, and others to make sure as few people fall victim as possible and that those praying on people will be stopped before they act or brought to justice.
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If it is too late to stop them.
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Together, we can forge a pow a path forward, a more effective and compassionate response to elder fraud, ensuring that our seniors feel safe and are supported in our city.
