§ 844-b. New York state committee for the coordination of police services to elderly persons. 1. Establishment of the committee. There is hereby established within the division the "New York state committee for the coordination of police services to elderly persons", hereinafter the "committee".

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2. Membership of committee. (a) The committee shall consist of a representative of the commissioner, representative of the superintendent of the New York state police, two representatives of the New York state sheriffs association, two representatives of the New York state association of chiefs of police, two representatives of the New York state district attorneys' association, a representative of the attorney general, a representative of the director of the office of victim services, a representative of the director of the state office for the aging, a representative of the commissioner of social services, a representative of the commissioner of the New York city police department, a representative of the New York state crime prevention coalition and two elderly representatives one to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate and the other by the speaker of the assembly. The commissioner shall make appointments to the committee in accordance with nominations submitted by the relevant agencies or organizations. Each member of the committee shall be appointed by the commissioner to serve a two year term. Any member appointed by the commissioner may be reappointed for additional terms. Any vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment and vacancies created otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled for the remainder of that unexpired term.

(b) In the performance of its functions, the committee shall, to the extent possible, solicit the participation and involvement of retired law enforcement personnel.

(c) The representative of the commissioner and the superintendent of the state police shall serve as co-chairpersons of the committee.

(d) Membership of the committee shall not constitute the holding of a public office, and members of the committee shall not be required to take and file oaths of office before serving on the committee.

(e) The members of the committee shall receive no compensation for their services as members.

(f) No member of the committee shall be disqualified from holding any public office or employment, nor shall any member forfeit any employment or office by reason of his or her membership on the committee.

(g) The committee shall meet as often as deemed necessary, but in no event less than two times per year.

3. Duties and responsibilities. The committee shall advise the division, the state police, county sheriffs and other local law enforcement agencies, and senior advocates chosen in consultation with the state office for the aging, in the study and evaluation of effective responses, including "Triad Programs," to the problems of crime against elderly persons. The committee may also consult with experts, service providers and representative organizations engaged in the protection of the elderly and may recommend the development of programs, including "Triad Programs", in the state of New York to assist the elderly to avoid criminal victimization through the coordinated efforts of state and local law enforcement agencies and organizations which provide services for the elderly. The committee may also recommend policies and programs to assist law enforcement agencies to implement such programs, including training and prevention standards and technical assistance. Such recommendations may include the following:

(a) the establishment of statewide and central clearinghouse for information and education materials;

(b) the development of innovative community police programs for the elderly;

(c) providing assistance to the municipal police training council in the development and delivery of training to law enforcement professionals involved in the "Triad Programs" including, but not limited to, the subjects of:

(i) crimes against the elderly and the protection of elderly persons;

(ii) police sensitivity to the needs of elderly persons as victims and witnesses;

(iii) social and human services;

(d) providing assistance to state and local law enforcement officials and to not-for-profit corporations, organizations with respect to effective policies and responses to crimes against elderly persons;

(e) promoting and facilitating cooperation among state agencies and local units of government;

(f) effective advocacy of services to protect elderly persons and elderly victims of crime;

(g) evaluating the relationship between crimes against elderly persons and other problems confronting elderly persons, and making recommendations for effective policy response;

(h) the collection of statistical data and research; and

(i) rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

3-a. Reports. On or before March first, nineteen hundred ninety-eight and annually thereafter the committee shall report to the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the assembly committee on aging and the chair of the senate committee on aging, on the incidence of reports of abuse of elderly persons. Such report shall consist of information from reports forwarded to the committee by local law enforcement agencies pursuant to § 140.10 of the criminal procedure law including number of reported incidents, ages of victims and alleged offenders, circumstances of the incident whether arrests were made and the sentence, if any, of the offenders. Such report shall also recommend policies and programs to aid law enforcement agencies, the courts and the New York state office of victim services in efforts to assist elder victims of domestic violence. The report shall also include recommendations designed to assist law enforcement agencies in implementing "Triad Programs".

4. Definition. As used in this section, the term "Triad Program" shall mean the triad cooperative model developed by the American Association of retired Persons, the National Sheriffs' Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police which calls for the participation of the sheriff, at least one police chief, and a representative of at least one senior citizens' organization within a county and may include participation by general service coalitions of law enforcement, victim service, and senior citizen advocate organizations.

If there is not both a sheriff and a police chief in a county or if the sheriff or a police chief do not participate, a Triad may include in the place of the sheriff or police chief another key law enforcement official in the county such as a district attorney.