Volunteers

[Cat_Doc]

Quote: Originally Posted by Michelles

"It sounds like the Explorers are similar to some of the same as a Citizens on Patrol volunteers.

Citizens On Patrol are given the authorities directed by the Chain of Command after we have had training, graduated and are sworn in as Citizens On Patrol volunteers by the sheriff."

That sounds very much like my agency, Michelle.

The key word is Sheriff.

In Arizona, and I assume many other states, the Sheriff has the authority to call up a Posse. This can be done under different titles; such as C.O.P., but the Sheriff can delegate his authority to those he/she has called to assist the agency.

This is not the same (calling up a Posse) for municipal police departments.

We have a very large Posse force, that, after going through the proper training (several months of part time training by our in-house certified instructors), is fully armed and authorized to act in the Sheriff's behalf.

We also have several volunteers who work with the Crime Scene Technicians, a Volunteer Cold Case Homicide Squad (all retired law enforcement), a Critical Incident Victim's Assistance Response Team and are in the process of starting up a C.O.P. program.

Kudo's to you and your peers for volunteering your time and assisting the community served by your Sheriff's Office!

I would like you and all those who volunteer their time, including the respectful and professional Explorers out there, to know that your service does not go unnoticed.

[Wombat311]

I second that.

[Michelles]

I am truly honored by the appreciation! Thank you!


Many many thanks to all the officers for all the sacrifices that you make for us citizens! Through my eyes there is no greater service to walk this earth than a peace officer.
You are the greatest and are my heroes!

Now I'm getting all emotional.

[retdetsgt]

What exactly is Citizens on Patrol? We don't have anything like that up here. Are you doing an "eyes and ears" thing?

I think probably the sheriff here can call up a posse, but the likelyhood of that happening is about below zero. The one here used to have sort of a honorary mounted patrol that rode their horses in parades, but I think they've gone away too. Most of the people that liked that got too old.

[NyPd Sgt ALU]

[QUOTE=retdetsgt]What exactly is Citizens on Patrol? We don't have anything like that up here. Are you doing an "eyes and ears" thing?


citizens on patrol started up in 1987 join up quick because tackleberry , mahoney, sweetchuck, jones and officer hooks will be the training officers .
Only one drawback that Captain Harris and Lt procter will be the commanding officers and they can make your life miserable. only if we could get Comandant Lassard out of retirement it could be a great detail . check out the picture it will give you an idea of what you will be doing. :D

[Cat_Doc]

RDS,

Michelle described her C.O.P. more in the lines of our posse members, with the exception of being armed.

My understanding of the pending C.O.P. program for our agency will be doing a background investigation on the applicants, sending them to some in-service training by our POST certified instructors, patrol techniques, traffic laws, etc., then put them out in teams to patrol their local areas.

They will be provided with either an unmarked car, or provided per diem and insurance for their vehicles, along with a cell phone, or possibly a radio. They are instructed to call in suspicious vehicles, persons, or Attempt To Locate targets that go out. They will not be doing any enforcement action, at all, period. The program is in the proposal phase as I speak and we are checking for policy and procedures from other agencies that have the system up and running.

The Posse members are very active and go through the same background requirements as a certified peace officer. They are trained to the requirements of "limited officer" status by Arizona POST. They are in uniform, armed, and operate fully marked vehicles. There biggest function has been securing crime scenes, second man in the car, etc. They don't take any enforcement action on their own, however.

[Michelles]

Yes, we are the eyes and ears of patrol; we perform business and residential security checks, welfare checks, provide traffic control assistance and provide many additional services that permit deputies to concentrate on other Law Enforcement assignments.

[Flee]

In Charlotte, NC, the CMPD has two groups of Citizens on Patrol. One is a road patrol, they drive marked COP Crown Vics with amber lightbars, and the other are two groups of Lake Patrol volunteers. They patrol the area lakes in marked vessles, also with amber light bars. Both groups are uniformed and carry radios and are dispatch through CMPD dispatch. Mostly they are en extra set of "eye and ears" for the sworn officers. They also help out the department by freeing up officers by doing traffic control at accident scenes, deploy the radar trailers, picking up and processing found property, and also do hadicap parking/fire lane enforcement, etc.


Rick
http://www.vipsforum.com
Make a Difference, Volunteer

[KittyMom]

Wow, Michelle. I'm a volunteer, but only with our handicap parking patrol. No POST training, but certainly background checks. Our sole duty (very narrowly defined by the vehicle code) (C.V.C. 22507.9) is to drive around and ticket people who are illegally parked in disabled parking spaces, and inform property owners if their spaces aren't in compliance. We have a marked city car. We wield the mighty ticket book :D which at $275 per, is not to be sneezed at. (We get pepper spray too, which IS to be sneezed at) The cool thing is that most of the unit is either elderly or disabled. We have a tiny office in the Traffic area.

Anything more than that, you have to be a CSO or reserve.

Pretty much, I'm like Cartman on his Big Wheel. "Respect mah authoritay!" :cool:

[retdetsgt]

Yes, we are the eyes and ears of patrol; we perform business and residential security checks, welfare checks, provide traffic control assistance and provide many additional services that permit deputies to concentrate on other Law Enforcement assignments.

Cool! Good for you!