More than 6,000 purple flags are flying at Sonoma County senior centers, police stations and other locations during June to spotlight Elder Abuse Awareness month, county officials said.

The flags represent the number of reports of suspected abuse in Sonoma County last year, Supervisor Chris Coursey said in a statement.

People place purple flags on the front lawn outside the Oakley Senior Center in Oakley on June 21, 2019, in recognition of Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Similar flag placement events take place in counties throughout the state and across the nation each June. (Glenn Gehlke/Bay City News Foundation)

The awareness campaign is led by the county’s Human Services Department’s Adult Protective Services and Senior Advocacy Services, a Petaluma nonprofit.

The flags are displayed at nine senior centers, the Family Justice Center, the county Adult & Aging Division, and local police stations.

The county said its Adult Protective Services program received 6,029 reports of suspected elder and dependent adult abuse last year.

Another 949 cases of alleged abuse were reported to Senior Advocacy Services’ Ombudsman program, which investigates allegations of abuse in nursing homes and other care facilities, the county said.

The total of 6,978 reports was an 8 percent increase from 2021, the county said.

Suspected abuse can be reported to Adult Protective Services at 707-565-5940 or 800-667-0404. Abuse in a care facility can be reported to 707-526-4108 or 800-231-4024.