From the desk of Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Powers
Dear neighbors,
Late last month, my office hosted Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and other statewide leaders at the Sharonville Convention Center for a conference about elder justice and the ongoing needs of seniors in our community. I was humbled to give the keynote address and thrilled to welcome two hundred law enforcement and legal minds from across our state to Hamilton County.
After taking office in January 2023, I made seniors a major focus of my office. The pandemic, the importance of social media, the rise of online banking, and our increasingly connected world have made daily life more difficult for the oldest among us.
Through it all, criminals became bolder.
To fight back, a year ago I launched a dedicated Elder Justice Unit at the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. This robust effort came complete with in-person training, staffers, and a helpline, 513-946-SCAM. We kicked it all off at the Colerain Township Senior Center, with a blitz that included a speaker and resources for people across our region. Seniors are often an overlooked segment of our population, and it’s my mission to change that in our region.
In the last twelve months, my team has offered roughly three dozen in-person events across our region, each one aimed at getting seniors vital resources about the criminals who would defraud and hurt them. There’s hardly a zip code in the county we haven’t visited, including Avondale, Anderson Township, Bond Hill, Blue Ash, Wyoming, Forest Park, Mariemont, and more. Churches, senior centers, community gathering spots, retirement communities, and private clubs have all served as venues for events.
My 513-946-SCAM helpline has also assisted over 150 seniors, and a digital monthly newsletter reaches hundreds of subscribers. There’s still more to do, and I’m looking for innovative ways we can help keep our seniors safe in a changing world. We must all stay vigilant.
And, if you or someone you know needs help, don’t hesitate to call 513-946-SCAM.
Always fighting for you,
Melissa Powers
Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney
| 
