The Chief of the Elder Abuse Unit, Arlene Markarian, reviews all of the elder abuse cases sent to the Unit and supervises the Assistant District Attorneys who are assigned to them.  Peg Horan acts as a liaison between the Assistant District Attorneys and various senior service agencies/providers, as well being involved in victim outreach.  Arlene Markarian and Peg Horan regularly answer questions regarding elder abuse from the NYPD, hospitals, senior service providers/agencies, and from senior citizens throughout the county.  Referrals to the police or senior service providers are made in response to many of these inquiries.    

     Since the creation of the Elder Abuse Unit, Arlene Markarian and Peg Horan have developed an excellent working relationship with the NYC Department for the Aging [DFTA], the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged [JASA] and Adult Protective Services [APS].  These partnerships promote early intervention in many situations.  As a result, vulnerable senior citizens, who otherwise may go unnoticed, receive the services and protection they need.

      Furthermore, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office is the lead agency partnered with the City of New York at the Brooklyn Family Justice Center [FJC], which is located on the same floor as the Domestic Violence Bureau.  The FJC provides on-the-spot services for victims of abuse.  In fact, the FJC has a special Elder Abuse Family Court Order of Protection Project where social workers help older victims obtain Orders of Protection without standing around the courthouse all day. Other partners include both DFTA and JASA, as well as many other social service agencies who assist victims of domestic violence and elder abuse.

      In addition, Ms. Markarian and Ms. Horan routinely present elder abuse workshops for senior centers and other senior organizations in Brooklyn.  Arlene Markarian conducts ongoing training for various senior service providers/agencies, as well as the NYPD, APS, DFTA, JASA, local hospitals and Assistant District Attorneys throughout the state.  The training focuses on the detection, investigation and prosecution of elder abuse.  Feel free to call the Elder Abuse Unit if you are interested in such training.