With a budget crisis and an uncertainty concerning city
services, a group of community members have stepped up to stand
behind the city’s police force.
The Hollister Police Department swore in 20 Volunteers in
Policing (VIPs) to an expanded and improved upon program
Thursday
– a program they hope will assist police personnel with their
duties, and ultimately, create better service for the
community.
With a budget crisis and an uncertainty concerning city services, a group of community members have stepped up to stand behind the city’s police force.
The Hollister Police Department swore in 20 Volunteers in Policing (VIPs) to an expanded and improved upon program Thursday – a program they hope will assist police personnel with their duties, and ultimately, create better service for the community.
Citizens have been part of the police department’s VIP program for awhile, but it was geared around special events and programs such as Neighborhood Watch, National Night Out and other specified programs, said Police Chief Jeff Miller.
The new VIP program incorporates the volunteers into the inner-workings of the department and provides more of a hands-on service than just donating time and energy at events, Miller said.
“I found when I got here that this is what the VIPs that we already had were also looking for – to become more integrated in the department,” Miller said. “And it fits in with my desire to be participating with the community and have the community participate with us.”
All of the current volunteers either participated in a 12-week Citizens Academy training course, or a two-day, 16-hour VIP Academy held in mid-January.
Hollister resident and newly-awarded VIP Ron Galien went through the two-day training, which he said increased his knowledge about law enforcement and created an exciting avenue for him to grow as a community member.
“(The training) was very informative and helped us understand what these guys have to go through for us,” Galien said. “It’s an opportunity for me to interface with law enforcement and give back to the community – I just want to be a part of it.”
The teamwork and camaraderie Galien has witnessed from the department’s personnel impressed him, bolstering his commitment toward the program.
“They all have great team spirit and a great attitude… and they certainly display it at all times,” Galien said. “It’s like joining up with the 49ers – an awesome team.”
The volunteers will assist in several areas of the department’s responsibilities and will be closely supervised at all times. Their duties will include filing records and paperwork, assisting the detectives, doing general maintenance work and graffiti abatement, said Capt. Richard Vasquez.
With time, their assignments will expand to other areas, and ultimately, onto the streets, he said.
“Right now we’re starting off slow and getting a solid base,” Vasquez said. “Our hope is that they will take care of a lot of the stuff out in the streets that our officers are doing at this point.”
The department’s request of 16 hours volunteered per month can be broken down into small weekly shifts and some weekends. Working with the volunteers’ schedules to take advantage of their time is important to the success of the program, Vasquez said.
“If you figure you do two hours a week – that’s quite a bit of hours – and it’s going to alleviate a lot of problems,” he said. “It will probably save more than the two hours they put in.”
Assisting with traffic control at an accident site, helping to store cars – whether they’ve been impounded from arrests or abandoned – and other duties that can free up paid officers to do more proactive police work are the long-term goals, Miller said.
“They will not have peace officer powers,” Miller said. “But everything we do has a purpose, and everything they do to help us helps the community. It helps us do what we need to do.”
Running errands between the department and other agencies may also be part of the VIPs’ duties, which will require them to drive unmarked departmental cars at first, but in time they will have specified cars for their use, Miller said.
A proportionate mix of men and women, young and old, are involved with the program.
VIP Caroline Grover heard about the program from her daughter, Lizzy, and decided to join to expand on her ever-present curiosity about police work, she said.
Coming from a family with a long history of law enforcement, it’s comfortable for her to be around police officers and is interesting enough that she’s willing to spend time doing it, she said.
“I wanted to have something I can do for the community,” Grover said. “It helps (the officers) to be out on the streets more… and if they can spend even an extra half an hour on the street then that helps the whole city overall.”
The sense of working for the greater good is worth a few hours spent out of the house and off the couch watching television, Galien said.
“For me it’s personal gratification, and it helps a lot of people at the same time,” he said. “I feel more respected in the program, and I feel like I’m doing something good.”
The police department will not be having another training session for some time while they get the new VIP program stabilized, Miller said.
Anyone interested in participating in a future program can call the police department at 636-4330 and ask to be notified when the next VIP academy is going to be held.
Public announcements will also be made.
“We’re hoping it will last forever,” Vasquez said, “as long as we can provide it and we have community members willing to do it.”
