ELGIN – When there’s something strange in your neighborhood, email inboxes, or answering machine, Cherie Aschenbrenner wants you to call her.
More specifically, Aschenbrenner, who serves as crime prevention specialist and elderly service officer with the Elgin Police Department, wants seniors to think of her and TRIAD when they feel a situation is fishy.
TRIAD is a program provided and funded primarily by Elgin Township that aims to increase awareness among seniors of crimes and scams that target them.
“A lot of times seniors don’t feel comfortable – they don’t want to bother police – but also they’re the most vulnerable and the most targeted, so we’re just trying to have the line of communication open with them,” Aschenbrenner said.
Aschenbrenner reaches about 500 seniors through an email list and can inform each of them about new scams and suspicious news in the area. Seniors can also send emails to Cherie at aschenbrenner_c@cityofelgin.org to alert her of scams they’ve encountered or ask her questions.
John Bradburn has been involved with TRIAD for less than a year but says he has already found the email alerts helpful.
“I’ve been receiving some spam that [Aschenbrenner] sent out [information on] so I knew they were spam and not to open them,” he said.
An Edgewater resident, Bradburn serves as a liaison between Edgewater and TRIAD. He alerts the group to news happening in his community and works to publicize TRIAD’s events to his Edgewater neighbors.
Cherie Aschenbrenner (second from left) discusses an upcoming social event with TRIAD members at the group’s Feb. 21 meeting at the Elgin Township Triad office. Aschenbrenner has been president of TRIAD for six years.
(Mason Souza/Sun Day Photo)
The Elgin Township TRIAD began in 1998, and Aschenbrenner has been involved in the group for about 10 years, serving as president for six. In that time, she has educated seniors on scams far and wide – from phony distress phone calls asking for money to rip-off snow shoveling services.
She said TRIAD makes for a mutually beneficial relationship between seniors and the police, where both groups learn from each other.
“I want [seniors] to feel comfortable calling me, and I think that empowers them as well when they know they’re helping the police,” she said.
A big part of TRIAD’s outreach to seniors comes through events. TRIAD holds about seven events per year, including fall and spring safety academies, a summer picnic, and an auto safety check in September in which automotive students from Elgin Community College perform 25-point inspections on seniors’ cars at no cost.
One upcoming program is called “Surviving Change When the Unexpected Happens.” The March 21 event includes a discussion on how to handle the loss of a spouse or family member and options for managing life following such a loss. TRIAD also has events planned to outline ways to save money on utility bill costs and minimizing property tax bills.
Other events are oriented toward fun, like the annual picnic, which features a country and western theme this year. These events are more laid back and social than the panels and discussions.
In Aschenbrenner’s 10 years with the Elgin Township TRIAD, she has seen the group grow from 10 members to about 55. Members come from organizations across Northern Illinois specializing in senior care, healthcare, and other areas to share their expertise and resources with seniors.
A Feb. 21 meeting featured representatives from Sherman Health, Visiting Angels, and Senior Services, among several others. The name TRIAD refers to the three groups that comprise the organization: senior-oriented organizations like those listed above, seniors themselves, and police.
The third branch is what Aschenbrenner said can make or break a TRIAD program. She credited the cooperation of Chief Jeff Swoboda, Kane County Chief Pat Perez, and South Elgin Chief Chris Merritt as a major reason the Elgin Township TRIAD has become one of the most active in the state.
While the police provide a backbone for TRIAD, the group’s growth is due to seniors telling each other about the program, Aschenbrenner said.
“I also think that [seniors] know our group and how friendly everybody is with them, and I think it’s word of mouth and they tell people and they like our programs,” she said.
Elgin Township TRIAD
Membership and meetings are free for seniors over 60 residing in Elgin Township
More info: www.elgintownship.com/supervisor/triad.aspx
847-741-2045
To be added to Officer Aschenbrenner’s mailing list, send an email to: aschenbrenner_c@cityofelgin.org
