ACT Police and elder abuse

ACT Policing is the community arm of the Australian Federal Police, with more than 900 staff plus volunteers conducting policing activities on behalf of the ACT Government.

What is ACT Policing doing about elder abuse?

Being a smaller police force, ACT Policing has no specific elder abuse team. However, all officers and recruits are trained to identify signs of abuse and neglect in citizens of any age, and a dedicated webpage lists tips and information about noticing and acting on elder abuse.

ACT Policing has Seniors Liaison Officers who can support older people in Canberra, including by connecting them to appropriate agencies. The force also has First Nations, Multicultural and LGBTQIA+ Liaison Officers, and all liaison officers work together to identify issues in their communities and prevent or deter offending.

Seeing community education as a key step in dealing with elder abuse, ACT Policing published an Elder Abuse Awareness handbook in 2025.

How prevalent is elder abuse in the ACT?

ACT legislation doesn’t recognise a specific elder abuse offence, so incidents are dealt with under other offences, such as assault, neglect or fraud. This invisibility means no data is available on the prevalence or handling of elder abuse in the territory.

However, officers see firsthand that family and friends – particularly adult children – are the perpetrators. They have attended instances where adult children have made elderly parents dependent on them in order to benefit financially. They have also seen access to grandchildren restricted, to ‘blackmail’ older people into doing what the adult children want.

Challenges for ACT Policing

In many cases, the older person is in a vulnerable position, being dependent on family members for help with daily activities. When elder abuse happens, this dependence can make the older person reluctant to implicate the family member. ACT Policing officers who respond to incidents often see older people downplay what happened or hesitate to make a formal report.

Officers have also observed older people downplaying issues due to growing up in the ‘tough love’ era. These older people feel they should be able to manage difficulties themselves or tell officers they don’t want to ‘be a burden’ to anyone by reporting possible abuse.

With these factors in play, it can sometimes be difficult for police officers to take appropriate action.

Recognising and reporting elder abuse in the ACT

With all Australians facing increased economic pressures, ACT Policing says it’s important for everyone to be vigilant and aware of the signs of elder abuse. Signs may include the older person:

• having unexplained injuries, bruises, cuts, bleeding or multiple falls

• showing changed behaviour or becoming moody, depressed or over-excited

• not being able to freely use their own funds, go out or make decisions (this could be coercive control, a pattern of abusive or restrictive behaviour)

• being isolated and having restricted contact with visitors, family or friends, or changing their social habits

• feeling overwhelmed, having no say or withdrawing from speaking about certain topics

• having dirty clothing, lacking hygiene, missing medications or lacking food

• experiencing changes in their financial status, changing their enduring power of attorney or will, making large deposits or withdrawals of money, allowing someone else to take over their finances, or having large or continual purchases made on their behalf.

These signs can be difficult to identify at first. If you’re ever unsure whether your concerns add up to elder abuse, the best idea is to report them to police anyway. It’s in your best interests, or those of the person you’re worried about.

Working with other police forces

The Australian Federal Police is a member of the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA), a joint initiative of Australian and New Zealand Police Commissioners. ANZPAA is a central agency for policy, research and cross-jurisdictional coordination across Australia and New Zealand, and it works to deliver better community safety outcomes by identifying opportunities to improve policing performance.

Through ANZPAA, police can share advice, case studies, best practice guides and other information with other jurisdictions. This encourages constant education and improvement when combatting elder abuse in Australian and New Zealand communities.

Helplines

In an emergency, always call 000.

• Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000

• ACT Police Assistance Line 131 444

• Elder Abuse Helpline 1800 353 374

Compass thanks Detective Superintendent John Hawkins for providing information for this article.