Hollister
– The Hollister Police Department is looking for a few good
volunteers.
Hollister – The Hollister Police Department is looking for a few good volunteers.
The department’s Volunteers in Policing program is down to only about a dozen participants and Capt. Richard Vasquez, who heads the program, is recruiting new members.
The program offers a way for citizens to get involved with police work, said Officer Rosie Betanio, a spokeswoman for the police department.
Hollister resident Carolyn Grover, 46, joined Volunteers in Policing three years ago to continue a family tradition. Her father and brother are retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office. Her great-grandfather was a sheriff in Mississippi.
“I enjoy being able to help around the police department and help out with the community,” Grover said.
Vasquez said the program started with approximately 20 citizens. The number of volunteers has gradually decreased through the years, he said.
The department is now looking for citizens 18 or older with a good attitude, an interest in police work and a clean record to give a few hours a week to volunteer, Betanio said.
“It’s on a voluntary basis,” she said. “So whenever they’re able to come in. We’re pretty flexible.”
Those interested can help around the office with administrative work such as filing and answering telephones, assisting in crowd control for parades and educating the public at events like the San Benito County Fair, Betanio said.
Betanio said training is provided for certain services, such as crowd control. Some volunteers even get training at the shooting range, although they are not allowed to carry weapons like police officers, she said.
Jack Cocchi, a 68-year-old retired Hollister resident, said he thought the program would help keep his mind active when he began volunteering in 2005. He has also found that his volunteer work gives him a chance to give back to the community.
Cocchi said the program is good for all ages, but especially for retirees.
“This is a really good opportunity,” Cocchi said, “because you can pick your hours.”
An ability to deal with the public helps, but the willingness to commit the time is important, Grover said. She said it is not hard to get prospective volunteers interested, but it’s difficult to get them to come out.
“They need to be serious about willing to give up a few hours a week,” Grover said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected].
