From the desk of the Sheriff

Mark Armentrout

The Radford Sheriff’s Office is proud to continue its 11-year tradition of safeguarding Radford’s senior community through the sponsorship of the TRIAD program.

In 2006, the Sheriff’s Office established the Radford City TRIAD program, which meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the meeting room at the Radford Recreation Center.

The Virginia Attorney General’s Office originally envisioned the TRIAD program, which it describes as a cooperative effort of public safety agencies (police/fire/sheriffs), senior citizens and senior organizations, focused on reducing crimes against our most vulnerable citizens: our seniors.

They encouraged communities throughout Virginia to establish their own local program. Our office recognized the need for this program, which meshed nicely with other programs that the Sheriff’s Office coordinates such as the Good Morning Radford program.

Each month, the Radford TRIAD program hosts approximately 20-25 seniors. The meeting agenda includes a review of recent local, statewide or nationwide scams that target seniors.

At our TRIAD meetings, we stress that the goal of Radford TRIAD is not to frighten the members but to simply make them aware of scams and try and keep seniors vigilant in their own personal lives to avoid these situations.

TRIAD coordinator Ashley Wilson attends every meeting and is in charge of scheduling a guest speaker to present to the group each month. Guest presenters include various city employees, Radford University professors, local business owners and agencies that specialize in senior care.

Ms. Wilson explained, “Having a guest speaker at each meeting is a crucial part of the Sheriff’s TRIAD program. I think it is important for senior citizens to have a close relationship with law enforcement personnel, but it is equally important they feel close with their community. Incorporating a local guest speaker each month brings inclusiveness to the seniors and they really look forward to it.”

Anyone interested in attending or becoming a guest speaker at the TRAID program can contact Ms. Wilson at 731-5501 for additional information.