Clergy are used to being spiritual advisers, comforters and confidants, but many may not know they also are required to be something else: the eyes and ears of law enforcement.

Since 2003, clergy in California have been required by law to report possible cases of elderly and dependent-adult abuse. As the third anniversary of the law approaches, the county's head prosecutor against elderly abuse said many clergy still are unaware of their duty.

"The hardest job I've had is getting into churches," said Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, head of the District Attorney's Elder Abuse Unit for the past nine years.

Greenwood spoke Nov. 30 to an audience that included about 30 pastors and church members at the Redwood Terrace retirement community in Escondido. Although clergy in attendance learned about their roles in stopping elderly abuse, Greenwood said too many still don't know.

"I got an e-mail from a clergy (member) who said, 'You've got it wrong, we're not mandated reporters,'" Greenwood said.

They are. The state law can be found in the Welfare and Institutions Code, section 15630-15632. Under the law, a mandated reporter is required to call police or Adult Protective Services within 24 hours if they observe an elderly person being physically abused, neglected, abandoned or financially exploited. The call must be followed up with a written report to the same agency within 48 hours of the initial telephone call.

Greenwood said he has never prosecuted anybody for failing to report suspected abuse, "but I think the time is coming."

A growing problem

While many clergy simply do not know about the law, some do but are dragging their feet, according to Greenwood, who said he has sent videotapes to churches with information about the issue only to be told in follow-up calls "we'll get to it."

"This is a very important subject," Greenwood stressed in his Escondido talk. "As I go around, I'm finding that every faith community has a victim of elderly abuse, and it's only going to get worse."

The 85-and-older age group is the country's fastest-growing population and one of the most tempting targets for many criminals. Some victims are vulnerable because of dementia, but even the clear-minded elderly are targets for con men because they often will not report a crime because of shame or for fear of losing their independence, Greenwood said.

"Victims are probably never going to report it," he said. "If you and I are going to sit around and wait for someone to come into your church office, it's not going to happen."

But clergy can help their elderly congregation members simply by staying in touch with them, noticing changes in their behavior and looking for signs of trouble, he said.

"If an elderly parishioner has failed to attend church for the last three weeks, make an unannounced visit to their home," he said. "If you go to the door and the person is a stranger and keeps you from coming in, that's an even bigger red flag."

Seeing a lock on the outside of an elderly person's bedroom is a sign that a person is being imprisoned, while a padlock installed on the inside of the bedroom door could be a sign of someone living in fear of another person in the house.

Signs of deteriorating mental or physical health, suspicious bank transactions or legal steps such as a new will or granting the power of attorney also are red flags, he said.

Greenwood said clergy members should consider revamping their visitation policies to check in on their elderly parishioners more often, and he urges churches to hold elder workshops to help potential victims protect themselves from potential con artists, thieves and extortionists.

Protection advice

"One of the things we need to teach our clergy is how to choose care-providers," he said. Although background checks and fingerprints are required to teach Sunday school or to work in child care, they are not required for elder care. Greenwood suggests people even hire private investigators to check the backgrounds of potential providers.

Elderly people also should keep an inventory of all their jewelry —— commonly the first things stolen from their homes —- and have a credit search done every three to six months.

Every home also should have a shredder to get rid of such paper as blank checks that are routinely mailed with credit-card statements, and Greenwood also urges people to never leave outgoing mail in their mailboxes, where it can be stolen.

The elderly also should have a chain guard on their front door, never let strangers in their home and never do business with unlicensed contractors, Greenwood said.

"Before any parishioner commits to doing business, get three estimates and contact the Better Business Bureau and the state licensing board to see if the contractor is real," he said. Workshops also should teach never to pay for work up front other than the allowed 10 percent, he said.

The elderly should get caller identification and have a trusted friend or relative receive duplicate copies of their financial statements. In another tip, Greenwood said people should never believe they have won the lottery.

"Why don't you preach a sermon on that?" he told the clergy members.

Who abuses

Greenwood has prosecuted elderly abuse cases involving murder, mental abuse, false imprisonment, torture, robbery, extortion and manslaughter caused by neglect, and he has identified a profile of a physical abuser.

The typical abuser is a man in his late 30s to late 40s, divorced or single, unmotivated or recently released from prison or jail, and living with his mother.

"I know it's not very Christian of me to be cynical, but it's my job," he said, describing a typical abuser as someone who never gets off his couch unless it's to drive his mother's car to the casino.

Greenwood said the victims often tell him their abusers lived at home because of a health problem.

"I tell them, 'He has a bad back?' and they say, 'How did you know?'" Greenwood said. "I say, 'Because it comes from sitting on your couch all day, watching TV.'"

Greenwood told clergy members to be especially alert to their elderly parishioners this month because physical abuse tends to increase around the holidays, when more alcohol is consumed and family tensions run high.

Greenwood said that although he can profile someone who physically abuses an elderly parent, he has no profile for people who commit financial abuse, which makes up 65 percent of his case load.

"There's no profile because people of all backgrounds are taking advantage of the elderly," he said.

Greenwood told of one case where a couple lost tens of thousands of dollars after investing in certificates of beneficial interests that guaranteed a return of 12.5 percent.

"I've been an attorney for 27 years, and I have no idea what a 'certificate of beneficial interest' is," he said.

Greenwood told of another case involving an Encinitas woman who had Alzheimer's and lost $90,000 because a limo driver she trusted took her to her bank, asked her to sign a form to withdrawal her certificate-of-deposit savings, and the teller obliged without hearing a word from the victim.

Because of that incident, bank tellers will be mandated reporters beginning in 2007, Greenwood said.

How to report, learn more

Anybody who suspects elderly abuse can report it to local law enforcement or Adult Protective Services at (800) 510-2020.

"If you give a report and you're told by law enforcement that it's a civil matter, let me know," Greenwood said.

Greenwood can be reached at the Elderly Abuse information line, (619) 531-3245. Clergy also can order Greenwood's 10-minute video about elderly abuse prevention at that number.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at gwarth@nctimes.com or (760) 740-5410.