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TriadOne goal: reduce senior victimization
Triad is an organization established in 1988 through a cooperative agreement between The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA). Their mission was to create a specialized way to guarantee the safety of older citizens throughout the United States, and currently over eight hundred counties have signed the Triad agreement.
Hampshire County, Massachusetts was the first in the state to develop a Triad/Seniors in Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) council in Amherst in 1992, which consists of police, fire, sheriff, district attorney, older adults, councils on aging personnel, protective services personnel, and representatives from civic groups. The majority of communities in Hampshire County now have formalized S.A.L.T. councils. The widespread acceptance of Triad led the National Security Agency to form an associated and institutionalized non-profit called the National Association of Triads.
Hampshire Sheriff’s Office is proud to be a supporter, member, and leader within the Triad community.
All members who participate in Triad have the same goal in mind: to reduce senior victimization. It is senior-led and has much to offer to those who are older and fear crime or the possibility of being the victim of a crime. Programs and events such as house numbering, community shredding, the file of life, a drug take-back, safe-entry lock boxes, sand for seniors, and much more are held often to benefit the public and encourage safety. Triad also creates educational opportunities where elders can learn about home safety, banking scams, consumer fraud, elder abuse, shopping safety, and other issues which may apply to them.
Triad Programs
Please look below to read more about Triad programs.
Over 30 years of Triad history
“Over many years of working in Triad, there has been one constant. That is a confusion between the terms Triad and S.A.L.T. To break it down in simple terms, Triad is the program and S.A.L.T. is the group that drives the program. Triad is not an acronym; it is merely the coming together of three groups: law enforcement, senior citizens, and support and protective services. On the local level, law enforcement can be sheriffs, police, state police, and district attorneys. Support and protective services comprise councils on aging, fire departments, hospitals, local businesses, banks, media, and civic groups to name a few. Any group that brings something to the table to reduce senior victimization is welcome. S.A.L.T. is an acronym that stands for seniors and law enforcement together. This council usually comprises senior citizens and representatives from several of the above-named groups that meet on a monthly basis. This is the working group that identifies senior needs and either develops initiatives to combat them or works cooperatively to enhance existing projects.”
— David Fenton, Director of Triad, Hampshire Sheriff’s Office
The National Association of Triads Program Manual 2024 Edition