Episode 38 / Prosecuting & Preventing Crimes Against Older Adults featuring Paul Greenwood

In this episode, Staci and Scott are joined by Paul Greenwood, a nationally recognized expert in crimes against older adults, to discuss his decades of experience as a prosecutor with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.Paul shares insights from his career prosecuting cases involving elder abuse and financial exploitation, as well as the lessons he learned working directly with victims, families, investigators, and multidisciplinary teams. In 2018, he shifted his focus from prosecution to prevention, using his experience to help professionals recognize warning signs and intervene before older adults experience further harm.Paul also discusses his work with Modell Consulting Group to develop specialized training focused on investigating financial crimes against older adults, equipping professionals with practical tools to identify, investigate, and respond to financial exploitation.Retired Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood was a solicitor in England for 13 years. After relocating to San Diego in 1991 he passed the California Bar and joined the DA's office in 1993. For twenty two years Paul headed up the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit at the San Diego DA’s Office. In 1999 California Lawyer magazine named Paul as one of their top 20 lawyers of the year in recognition of his pioneering efforts to pursue justice on behalf of senior citizens.He has prosecuted over 750 felony cases of both physical, sexual, emotional and financial elder abuse. He has also prosecuted ten murder cases, including one death penalty case.In March 2018 Paul retired from the San Diego DA’s office to concentrate on sharing lessons learned from his elder abuse prosecutions with a wider audience. In October 2018 he was given a lifetime achievement award by his former office.Paul now spends much of his post retirement time speaking on behalf of AARP nationally, consulting on elder abuse cases, testifying as an expert witness and providing trainings to law enforcement and Adult Protective Services agencies across the country and internationally. He is also involved as the criminal justice board member of National Adult Protective Services Association.