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TALLAHASSEE - Attorney General Charlie Crist, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell and Tallahassee Chief of Police Walt McNeil today opened a Storefront operation in Tallahassee as part of the hugely successful Seniors vs. Crime project. The new Storefront, located in the Senior Citizen Center at 1400 North Monroe Street, will serve as a type of "one-stop shopping" facility for elders who believe they have been victimized by fraud or some other crime. The new Tallahassee Storefront is the 25th Storefront in the state, and is the first Storefront to be opened with the cooperation of both the Sheriff's Office and the Police Department.

Seniors vs. Crime volunteers, often called "Senior Sleuths," will staff the Storefront to provide a place for potential victims to file a complaint, discuss their concerns with peers and receive other assistance. To date, Senior Sleuths have received more than 5,600 complaints, with a successful resolution rate of 78 percent last year.

"The Storefront program sends the message to seniors that they can fight back – they can make a difference," said Crist. "Con artists and other criminals can no longer think of older residents as easy targets, because our seniors have the means to protect themselves."

More than $3.8 million has been recovered for senior victims through storefronts, and Storefront Senior Sleuths have been directly responsible for more than 150 criminal charges being brought against companies and individuals. Other counties with Storefront operations are Alachua, Brevard, Citrus, Columbia, Lake, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia. All but the first Storefront, in Delray Beach, have been opened in partnerships with local law enforcement agencies.

Additional information about the program can be found at the program's website, http://www.seniorsvscrime.com or at the Attorney General's website, http://www.myfloridalegal.com.