Rob Verber has been an Elderly Service Officer for more than two decades, though his tenure in Indian Head Park is newer. He will mark five years with the Indian Head Park Police Department in September, but his experience in the role stretches back to his 32 years with the Westchester Police Department, where he served as an elderly service officer for 15 years before transitioning to other duties.
Verber came to Indian Head Park at the request of former Westchester Police Chief Steve Stelter, who had since become chief at the time. Stelter was familiar with the programming Verber had developed in Westchester—work with seniors, school resource officer duties, and crime prevention—and wanted to replicate those efforts locally.
“I came here with skill sets that the village wanted,” Verber said.
When Village President Amy Jo Wittenberg took office, much of the infrastructure was already in place. “She already knew what I was doing prior to that,” Verber said. “When she ran and won, she’s like, I already have a lot of things already in place.”
The Senior Lunch Program
One of Verber’s signature initiatives is a monthly senior lunch held on the third Thursday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The program, funded through a grant from Aging Care Connections—a nonprofit based in downtown LaGrange that operates under the umbrella of Age Options, which serves all of Cook County—alternates between entertainment and educational programming.
“One month it’ll be entertainment like we’ll have a musical trio come in and they do a cappella or acoustic guitar,” Verber explained. “And then just this past Thursday we had Medicare come in. So we had the subject matter experts come in to talk about Medicare.”
The meals themselves come from La Bella Banquet, a food service provider that delivers balanced, USDA-compliant meals. Attendance typically maxes out at 50 to 60 seniors, with every chair filled.
The program serves a broader purpose than just providing a meal. For some seniors, Verber said, it may be their only opportunity to leave home and enjoy a hot meal in a week. Seniors from across the area can attend—it is not limited to Indian Head Park residents—and some coordinate their schedules to hit multiple towns throughout the week.
Verber makes a point to attend when he can, sitting down to eat with the residents. “They love that. I sit down with the seniors and some, a lot of them I knew from when I was in Westchester.”
Crime Prevention and Scam Awareness
Beyond the lunch program, Verber conducts community presentations on crime prevention and fraud awareness, tailoring his message to seniors. He emphasizes that scams operate on three core premises: fear, greed, and generosity.
The IRS scam preys on fear, demanding payment in gift cards under threat of legal action. The grandparents’ scam exploits generosity, with callers posing as grandchildren in distress. Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes scams target greed, promising large payouts in exchange for upfront fees.
“They’re going to try to get to you one of those three ways,” Verber said.
Scammers often keep victims on the phone for extended periods—sometimes hours or days—wearing them down through a process similar to grooming. Verber draws parallels to his work as a crimes against children investigator, noting that both vulnerable populations face similar manipulation tactics rooted in neuroscience and cognitive decline.
He teaches seniors practical steps: delete suspicious emails and texts without opening links, never answer calls from unknown numbers, and contact their local police department with questions. He also warns against answering social media surveys that ask for personal details—favorite colors, first pets, street names—information that scammers can use to construct passwords or sell on the dark web.
Wellness Checks and Community Partnerships
Verber also conducts welfare checks on seniors, often looking for signs of hoarding, food insecurity, or other concerns. During these visits, he gathers information about family contacts and available resources, then connects residents with Aging Care Connections or other partners as needed.
“I’m the conduit. I’m the go-between,” Verber said, describing his role connecting the Illinois Department of Aging, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and local service providers.
His training—an 80-hour program sponsored by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office—equips him to recognize warning signs and navigate the complex web of available services. Many seniors and their families are unaware of what assistance exists, he noted.
“There are a lot of folks that don’t realize that those services are there, and their adult children don’t know that those services are there,” Verber said.
The Statewide ESO program
The Illinois Attorney General’s Elderly Service Officer program is a specialized certification for law enforcement officers committed to serving and protecting older adults. Developed through a partnership between the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, law enforcement, and senior advocacy organizations, the program trains officers to better recognize, investigate, and prevent crimes that disproportionately affect seniors.
The training is an intensive, week-long course that prepares officers to identify and respond to elder abuse, neglect, self-neglect, financial exploitation, and scams targeting older adults. Officers also receive instruction on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, caregiver concerns, available community resources, and the unique challenges many older adults face.
The goal extends beyond investigating crimes after they occur. The program emphasizes building relationships with seniors, educating them before they become victims, connecting them with resources, and improving their overall quality of life. Prevention is every bit as important as enforcement.
More than 1,800 law enforcement officers and advocates across Illinois have completed the certification, creating a statewide network of professionals dedicated to protecting older adults.
“Here in Indian Head Park, I see the Elderly Service Officer program as much more than another assignment,” Verber said. “It’s an opportunity to build trust with our senior residents, help them remain safe and independent, and provide them with someone they know they can call before a problem becomes a crisis. Sometimes that means investigating fraud or abuse. Other times, it’s helping someone navigate a difficult situation, connecting them with services, or simply checking in to make sure they’re doing well.”
Resources for seniors: If you are age 60 or older and need to report elder abuse or fraud, contact the Senior Citizens Consumer Fraud Helpline at 1-800-243-5377 or via email at seniorhelpline@ilag.gov. You can also access resources directly through the Senior Advocacy Office of the Illinois Attorney General page at illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.