Partnering RSVP volunteers with law enforcement agencies

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Abstract

RSVP volunteers in Orange County, California, are assisting law enforcement agencies by performing many non-risk tasks that would otherwise pull officers away from their focus on citizen safety. Volunteers receive specialized training, but are not armed and cannot make arrests. Tasks performed by RSVP volunteers include vacation checks, neighborhood and business watches, licensing bicycles, fingerprinting, fleet maintenance, mentoring, victim assistance, child seat belt instruction, code enforcement, administrative and clerical tasks, and handling public inquiries.

Issue

Law enforcement agencies do not always have enough personnel or funding to perform all tasks related to public safety. Partnerships with RSVP were developed several years ago by police officers involved in community watch programs in Orange County, California and in other U.S. cities and counties. Many communities have found them to be economical and effective.

Action

RSVP volunteers in Orange County, California are assisting law enforcement agencies by performing many non-risk tasks that would otherwise pull officers away from their focus on citizen safety. Volunteers receive specialized training, but are not armed and cannot make arrests. Each of the 18 law enforcement agencies has developed a unique RSVP volunteer response to their own community public safety needs. While strategies may differ, training manuals and methods are shared.

Tasks performed by RSVP volunteers include vacation checks, neighborhood and business watches, licensing bicycles, fingerprinting, fleet maintenance, mentoring, victim assistance, child seat belt instruction, code enforcement, administrative and clerical tasks, and handling public inquiries. RSVP volunteers also serve as ambassadors on public safety by giving talks and presentations throughout the county.

Details on two of the most common volunteer tasks:

Vacation watches include checking homes and reporting open doors, mail stacking up, or other out-of-the ordinary situations.
YANA (You Are Not Alone) watches include checking to ensure that homebound residents are okay. When problems are found, a police officer is called and social service referrals are made.

Context

The Volunteer Center Orange County, California, RSVP is providing 397 volunteers to 18 law enforcement agencies in the county. Orange County, California, is located in Southern California, south of Los Angeles County and north of San Diego County. Orange County is the sixth largest county in the nation, with a population of over 2.8 million, and 33 cities. Orange County is the most densely populated areas in the United States, with 3,543 persons per square mile. While crime has decreased over the past several years and is lower than in neighboring counties, residents consider it an important problem.

Outcome

Creating the RSVP initiative provided a cadre of talented, experienced people to assist police departments with non-risk activities while giving older residents an opportunity to become involved and make a difference in the lives of their neighbors.
The volunteer law enforcement programs provide a low-key and friendly way to raise community awareness about public safety and give people, especially the homebound and elderly, a greater sense of security.
The law enforcement agencies and the citizens of Orange County, California now emphasize what a valuable contribution people over 55 can make to public safety.
Orange County is an outstanding example of how RSVP and law enforcement work together.
Along with similar RSVP public safety program in California and other states, it provides a proven model for new homeland defense initiatives.

Evidence

More police officers are able to spend more time in the field providing public assistance and handling emergency situations because RSVP volunteers are at their agencies.

Last year (2000), RSVP volunteers contributed over 100,000 hours of service to the 18 Orange County law enforcement agencies.
In the City of Orange, they conducted 71 vacation watches, and made 34 YANA checks.