Out of every U.S. state, Florida has the highest number of senior citizens, thanks to its desirable retirement atmosphere. Because of this, however, Florida has one of the nation's highest levels of elder abuse and identity theft cases, according to the Carrollwood Patch. In an effort to help senior citizens from becoming victims of such crimes, law enforcement officials and local residents created the Seniors Crime Prevention and Safety Fair in 2010.
This year marked the third annual fair, which was held on Friday, January 6, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Northdale Recreation Center at 15550 Spring Pine Drive. The fair was sponsored by Hillsborough County Parks, the Northdale OWLS, the sheriff's office's community outreach division, and Recreation and Conservation, and included free food by T.G.I. Friday's, as well as informative presentations, such as one by Proshred Security which informed senior citizens how to effectively dispose of unwanted personal documents. Other organizations in attendance included Operation Medicine Cabinet, which allows seniors to properly dispose of unwanted prescription medications.
Additional helpful topics included how to make your home safe, what to carry and what not to carry in your wallet, and how to avoid identity theft schemes. The latter is especially important considering Florida was ranked first in identity theft cases in 2010.
Many identity theft cases are based in misunderstanding or even false accusations. If you have been charged with identity theft or any other theft crime in Florida, the aggressive Florida theft crime attorneys at Musca Law can protect your legal rights. To learn more about getting your charges reduced or dropped, contact us today for a confidential consultation at (888) 484-5057.