Status of Women Committee on Nov. 3rd, 2011

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Thank you so much, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much for being here.

I've been looking at the seniors' guidebook since I got it a few minutes ago. It's really great. This information is targeted to seniors, but I notice that it's available online. Do you have data on how often this guidebook is being downloaded and consulted?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

I do not have that information readily available, but I can certainly obtain it. We do have the means to obtain that information, and I can come back to the committee with that.

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

That would be great.

I'd also like to know if it's being distributed in hard copy, too, since it is for seniors, and I'd be worried that putting it online wouldn't necessarily get it to the target audience. Is it being disseminated in hard copy or are there plans for it to be?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

Madam Chair, essentially the booklet is being distributed nationally, so we distribute it to those who request it in hard copy format. We also ensure that each of our 750 detachments has a copy of it. I'll just note that the guide is being updated currently, and the new edition will be distributed in hard copy as well as electronically.

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

That's great. Thank you.

I have one other quick question. Could you just quickly go through what the protocol is when local detachments get reports of elder abuse?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

Depending on the nature of the complaint, there might be a requirement for a member to physically go to the location of the complainant. Or perhaps the complainant has called in looking for some sort of support. Each complaint that is made, either on behalf of an elder or by the elder themselves, is dealt with on an individual basis and then responded to.

In terms of something that's more severe, typically the appropriate response would be to ensure that the individual's safety, health, and well-being are priorities, and then it would go from there.

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

So putting the senior first is a priority.

I'll give the rest of my time to Ms. Mathyssen.

Thank you very much.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you.

I'd like to add my thanks for your expertise in this.

We're going to be writing a report. This report will go to the House of Commons and we will be asking the government for specific actions.

What would you recommend? What do we still need to do? I know that the RCMP has done a great deal of work in awareness and there is an effort to deal in a sensitive and very kind way with those seniors who you come in contact with. So what do we still need to do, beyond this awareness campaign and reaching out to community partners?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

Well, as government officials...it's not really my place to provide that advice. Essentially we're here to respond to questions about elder abuse and so forth and to the kinds of requests that are being made on behalf of the parliamentary committee.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

So you have no recommendations. In the course of your work, there's nothing you've seen that you would like to suggest so we could do our work better. Is there nothing at all or you can't...?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

Ultimately, in terms of our proactive approach and community policing as a whole, we're engaged in looking at a holistic approach: prevention, awareness, education, and intervention and the enforcement piece of that. That's really the role of the RCMP.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Is all the work done? Have we arrived? Are we finished?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

I would suggest that there are always opportunities for more work to be done. As an organization, the RCMP is very aware of ensuring that we continue to leverage those partnerships with our other agencies and the multitude of the ones I have listed.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Okay. Thank you.

[The Chair, NDP, Niki Ashton]

Thank you very much, Ms. Mathyssen.

We'll now move to Mrs. O'Neill Gordon.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to thank the witnesses for being with us today. We certainly appreciate all the work you do. I certainly agree with you that you see a lot. It's definitely an unfortunate reality in our society that we have to face such a sad thing as elder abuse.

This is a topic that very dear to our government's heart and to all of us here. We were just discussing the $45 million that's put each year into the new horizons program. We know that this provides many opportunities, projects, and advantages for seniors. I especially like the different crime prevention mandates you mentioned here in different provinces, especially the Seniors are Cool one and the youth involvement in that.

Do you know if every province has some kind of a mandate to go ahead and put on different programs like that? Maybe they're not same, but are different provinces engaged in things like that?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

Madam Chair, in essentially every province and territory where the RCMP has jurisdiction, we have some type of program or initiative. Let me give you a couple of examples.

In the province of Nova Scotia, we have the police academy program for the older adult division, which is essentially a 12-hour workshop spread over six weeks. It focuses on skills and safety principles for older adults. Each week, participants are introduced to new safety and security issues and are given handout materials for further reference. In the final week, participants are presented with a certificate and are encouraged to share the information they have learned with other older adults.

In Alberta and British Columbia, the ACE initiative has what is referred to as the ageless wisdom initiative. This initiative was developed in consultation with the National Aboriginal Policing Services branch and Aboriginal Policing Services in British Columbia. It's a series of workshops, targeted specifically to seniors groups, about issues concerning safety, frauds and scams, abuse, and victim services.

In Labrador and Newfoundland, Looking Beyond the Hurt: A Service Provider's Guide to Elder Abuse, is a publication available to front-line service providers. It was prepared by the Seniors Resource Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador, health care agencies, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary,and the RCMP to inform professionals about the dynamics of elder abuse. It also outlines provincial and federal legislation related to elder abuse. The goal of this guide is to assist service providers in being alert to the signs of elder abuse and to prepare them to look beyond the physical hurt.

In the Province of Prince Edward Island, the RCMP is represented on the board of directors of the seniors safety program. The program itself provides isolated, vulnerable, and community-dwelling seniors with personal safety, home safety, and health information. Two program coordinators are currently funded for this. The information, delivered by the program coordinators to seniors in their own homes, is designed to help reduce their fear of crime, their vulnerability to frauds and scams, and their susceptibility to unscrupulous salespersons and contractors.

In Saskatchewan, we have additional programming. Community policing is working with the Ministry of Justice to train RCMP members, victims' services, and community members on the provincial legislation--the Victims of Domestic Violence Act--and how this tool is applicable in older-adult abuse investigations and complaints. It also addresses how to recognize older-adult abuse. The NICE Elder Abuse Assessment and Intervention Reference Guide, along with the relevant fact sheet associated with it, is distributed to all RCMP police employees in Saskatchewan.

Then, of course, in Manitoba, which I mentioned previously, they have an initiative that's referred to as boot camp for older adults, which is sponsored and coordinated by a local resource group. It runs for two hours a week for six consecutive weeks. Older adults are referred to as cadets. Presentations are made to groups of seniors on personal safety, home security, substance abuse and addictions, emergency preparedness, elder abuse, falls prevention, identity theft, fire safety, safe driving, Internet safety, frauds and scams, safe banking, and estate planning and policy procedures.

Essentially, every province and territory where the RCMP has jurisdiction or a detachment has some type of program or initiative on working with our elders.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

I'm from New Brunswick. I don't know if you mentioned New Brunswick or if we have something there. I don't remember your saying.

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

That would be part of one of the groups I listed. Where the RCMP has policing jurisdiction, New Brunswick does in fact have a program that is very similar to the ones used in the other provinces and territories I referred to.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Okay.

What data can you provide on the extent of reported elder abuse in these communities and on the trends over time?

Do you find, as well, that these initiatives are helping seniors better themselves? Do they benefit from them?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

Madam Chair, unfortunately, I do not have specific data related this. What I can say, though, is that based on the awareness and the amount of effort on all levels, we have in fact, through our proactive nature, been able to intervene and prevent abuse and have provided awareness among our elders. Unfortunately, I do not have empirical data on that.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

I, too, want to thank you for this material that you brought to us today.

I'm wondering if the seniors guidebook is distributed to many seniors or is it just in public places? Is it something that is available to seniors as well?

[C/Supt Brenda Butterworth-Carr]

In response to the question, we make our material available to everyone; hence the reason that it's also posted online. We ensure our detachments have an appropriate amount to distribute to their seniors, and often we'll ensure that material is provided at our seniors centres. In one province in particular, they actually meet within the homes of our seniors and would provide the material first-hand.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Yes, because many seniors in their own homes would not have access to computers or going online. We certainly encounter this in a lot of ways, so a hard-copy book like this would certainly be of benefit.

Thank you.

[The Chair, NDP, Niki Ashton]

Thank you, Ms. O'Neil Gordon.

Given that Madam Sgro isn't here, we will move on to Mr. Holder for five minutes.