First Quarter 2006 CONTENTS 2 NACOP Overview 3 President's Message 6 All Points Bulletin 7 Tips for Recognition 21 Coordinators Training 22 NACOP Members List 23 How to Join Us! Published quarterly by National Association Citizens On Patrol The Official Quarterly Newsletter of the National Association Citizens On Patrol Dedicated to Citizen Patrol Volunteers, their Organizations, Volunteer Coordinators and members of Law Enforcement FEATURES NACOP Sixth Annual Conference Review Over 500 C.O.P.'s and 85 Patrol Cars, The Best and Biggest to Date pages 8-16 Kitsap County, Washington, Sheriff's Citizens Patrol Patrolling in the great Northwest of Washington State. pages 18-20 2006 East & West Citizen Patrol Conference Previews From Florida to California, C.O.P.'s will be gathering page 17 PLUS Citizen Patrol Volunteers meet with President Bush page 6 Learn How to Help Protect Our Children From Predators page 5 Citizen Patrol Volunteers Respond to Hurricane Wilma page 4 Recognizing Your Volunteers with the President's Award page 7 Citizen Patrol groups topic of new book and police web portal page 6 P.O. Box 727 Corona, CA 92878-0727 Ph: 951-898-8551 Fax: 951-279-1915 www.nacop.org Editor-In-Chief Arthur Femister Production Editor Ms. Jill Femister Suggestions and comments regarding this newsletter are very welcomed. Pictured above: Kitsap County, Washington, Sheriff's Department Citizen Patrol Volunteers pictured with Coordinator Deputy Pete Ball. View their profile on pages 18-20.
NACOP OVERVIEW 2 The National Association Citizens On Patrol Mission and Goals A Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation registered and incorporated within the state of California organized to meet the requirements of an IRS 501C3 tax exempt charitable organization. Mission Statement 1) Support existing Citizen Patrol organizations with increased communications, education and training to further increase their professionalism and efficiency, as well as assisting in recruitment and retention efforts. 2) Promote the use of Citizen Patrol organizations in areas where they are not currently used by educating the community as to the many benefits such as reduced crime and cost savings. 3) Educate the public regarding the role of Citizen Patrol organizations and how they benefit the community. 4) Ensure our staff is equipped with the skills necessary for the association to be managed professionally. Long Term Goal Provide Citizen Patrol organizations with the same level of recognition, awareness, and respect that other public safety organizations have which will help to increase the volunteers pride, recruitment and retention. Arthur Femister Helen Reardon Board of Directors Arthur Femister, Chairman of the Board and Director Ms. Helen Reardon, LASD, Retired, Member of the Board Dr. John Bair, Member of the Board Mrs. Amy Kingery, Member of the Board Sgt. Darrell Hibbens, MCSD, Member of the Board Officer Tom Carney, NMBPD, Member of the Board Executive Staff Arthur Femister, President and Founder Mike McAleavey, Vice President Dr. John Bair, Secretary and Treasurer Mrs. Jill Femister, Webmaster and Newsletter Editor Mike McAleavey Amy Kingery Tom Carney Jill Femister Sgt. Hibbens Dr. John Bair This project was supported by Grant No. 2005-LC-BX-K003 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the United State Department of Justice.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE 3 Welcome to the first edition for 2006 of "Eyes and Ears", the only published newsletter in the nation dedicated to Citizen Patrol Volunteers, the Coordinators who support them and the agencies who embrace them. We're excited to bring you this "Double Bonus" edition covering our fourth quarter 2005 and first quarter 2006 as it has pages filled with pictures and information from our sixth annual, Citizen Patrol conference held last October 2005. Many of you have been requesting another conference for the southeast region in Florida. I'm excited to tell you that thanks to a second round of grant funding from the wonderful folks at the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, we'll be hosting a conference in Melbourne, Florida on July 15, 2006. With this additional round of funding we'll also be adding new and exciting services to our organization to help not only our member base but anyone and/ or agency who wishes to start a Citizen Patrol program. One program I'm very excited about is the new online discussion group, also known as a bulletin board, chat room, etc. Currently there is no site like this available to the general public, COP units, volunteers and members of law enforcement where they can post and exchange ideas vital to their success while avoiding the syndrome of reinventing the wheel. This very topic was one of my primary goals of founding the NACOP years ago, to help others avoid having to reinvent the wheel, so to say, when starting a new COP unit. Additionally based on your feedback, we'll be re-editing our existing first ever produced Citizen Patrol Public Service TV ad featuring the host of America's Most Wanted, John Walsh. The new video will offer multiple choices to select from including an all John Walsh version with no video overlay. Finally, as we enter our seventh year of business, I want to thank all our wonderful member groups for their support and of course our dedicated board of directors for their loyalty and assistance. As always, we welcome any feedback and look forward to hearing from you. Until then, Be Safe, Be Seen, Be Heard and continue to Make a Difference! Respectfully, Art Femister Founder and President Coming in the 2006 Second Quarter Edition Profiles of two Citizens Patrol Groups across the nation Updates on the coming 2006 July 15th Florida Regional COP conference and October 7th, Seventh Annual NACOP National Conference and Awards Presentations "Looking into the Mind of the Terrorist", Part one of a three part series. In addition to founding the NACOP, after a 22 year career in the Information Technology sector, Mr. Femister founded the Public Safety Volunteer Institute to help train Volunteer Coordinators on topics such as how to recruit, manage, reward and retain volunteers and travels the nation conducting workshops. To date he has personally trained close 500 agencies. Prior to that he served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard conducting Search and Rescue Missions and Law Enforcement patrols. Mr. Femister has been an active Citizen Patrol volunteer since 1997 and completed a Level II Reserve Police Officer training course. He also serves as a Volunteer with his local county Fire Department and is a member of his city's CERT, Team. Mr. Femister is recognized as an expert in the area of Citizen Patrols and volunteer organizations and has been featured on TV, Radio and Newspapers. He has received numerous awards for his community service and is one of the few civilian recipients of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, "Presidents Coin" which he received for his efforts with the NACOP to reduce crime throughout the nation. Mr. Femister continues to serve as an active Citizen Patrol Volunteer and regulary donates his time monthly to patrol functions and other needs.
Citizen Patrol Volunteers Respond to Assist Hurricane Victims 4 Above: North Miami Beach Police Volunteers prepare boxes of food, water and supplies for hurricane victims. Pictured Above: Volunteers hoist boxed supplies to needy residents in the upper floors of apartments where elevators are not in service due to power outages. Pictured Left: Citizen Patrol Volunteers from the North Miami Beach Police Department help distribute critically needed ice to local residents of the city after hurricane Wilma in late 2005. Having a strong volunteer force in place, before a natural disaster occurs is truly one of the best investments an agency can take to help their community recovery quickly. Many first responder agencies talk of how overwhelmed they are trying to manage an "on demand" volunteer force after a disaster occurs only wishing they had developed an organization before hand. Don't delay, act now to prepare for the coming 2006 hurricane season and if you have a group in place, now is the time to update your training and communications methods. Pictured above, California's First Lady Maria Shriver with NACOP President Art Femister (blue suit) and members of the Camarillo Police Citizens Patrol, El Monte Police VCAP's, Escondido Police Volunteers, Jurupa Valley Citizens Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Volunteers on Patrol, Madera County Sheriff's Citizens Patrol, Norco Citizens Patrol, Palm Springs Citizens Patrol, Simi Valley Police Citizens Patrol and the Thousand Oaks Police Volunteers in Policing unit during a disaster preparedness kick off campaign where Citizen Patrol volunteers and others were recognized for their service and citizens were encouraged to prepare for natural disasters by making or buying their own preparedness kits.
Helping to Protect Our Nations Children THE NATIONAL SEX OFFENDER PUBLIC REGISTRY Children are America s most precious resource and the future of our great nation. As Citizen Patrol Volunteers, protecting them from harm, especially from sexual predators, should be one of our highest priorities. On July 20, 2005, the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General Regina B. Schofield who also heads the nations Amber Alert program, launched the National Sex Offender Public Registry www.nsopr.gov, a searchable Web site that links state and territory sex offender public registries and allows users access to public information about sex offenders throughout the country. The NSOPR currently links to 48 state registries and offers information on almost 500,000 registered sex offenders nationwide. Pictured above is the home web page to the USDOJ NSOPR web site, check it out! The NSOPR went live two months after Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales directed the U.S. Department s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to design a national site that would link at least 20 state sex offender public registries and be available for public use in 60 days. Real time access to public sex offender information, Attorney General Gonzales stressed, is one critical resource for Americans to help identify sex offenders beyond their own streets or states. The Department exceeded its goal by linking 22 states. In a 12-hour period following its unveiling, the site received 22 million hits almost 1,000 hits per second. A single query from any Web-capable computer allows NSOPR to deliver instant matches on sex offenders, including detailed information and often photographs, from state public registries. Mirroring industry standards, Web services and the Justice Department s Global Justice extensible Markup Language (XML), a common computer language that standardizes data and facilitates data sharing, establish a link between NSOPR and state sex offender public registries. Users can initiate local, state, and national searches based on a name, zip code, county, city, or town. Plans are in place to provide additional NSOPR options, especially radius searches and mapping capabilities. While still in its formative stages and continuing to grow, the NSOPR currently gives millions of parents, grandparents, and other concerned citizens easy-to-use and free access to information on two out of every five registered sex offenders in the United States. Thanks to the National Sex Offender Public Registry, they can now take a proactive and meaningful step in protecting a child s life. Help protect our nations children by logging on to our web site, www.nacop.org/kids and find valuable online resources such as how to receive Amber Alerts on your cell phone other useful tips to assist law enforcement in your communities. 5 Citizen Patrol Volunteers can play a vital role in searching for and locating missing children.
ALL POINTS BULLETIN TIPS, FACTS, UPDATES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY Welcome our Newest Members to the National Association Citizens On Patrol: This past quarter(s), Citizen Patrol groups from Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff's; Bel-Ridge, MO Police; Forsyth County, NC Sheriff's; Nuevo CA Citizens Patrol; joined our nationwide organization. We welcome these new member organizations and appreciate their support. Citizen Patrol and Law Enforcement Volunteers Featured Monthly on Leading Web Portal: OFFICER.com In January 2006 the leading law enforcement news and web portal, officer.com, announced the addition of NACOP President Art Femister as their newest monthly feature contributor. Mr. Femister's column published on the second Thursday of each month will discuss various topics related to the use of volunteers in an ongoing effort to share the many benefits civilian volunteers have to offer law enforcement agencies. The web site recently surpassed 5 million page views per month. Citizen Patrol Groups Featured in New Book: Citizen Patrol groups from North Miami Beach FL, Perris CA, Norco CA, Santa Paula CA, Hesperia CA and Rancho Cucamonga CA are featured in the newly released book "Taking Back the Streets, One Neighborhood at a Time". The book is an overview to citizens of what they can do to protect their communities and neighborhoods. Citizen Patrol and Police Volunteers are Recognized by President Bush: As part of his continued effort to recognize and encourage citizens to volunteer within their communities and as part of the USA Freedom Corps Presidential Service Award program (see page seven) President George Bush recently recognized three law enforcement volunteers for their efforts. The individuals included Mr. Joe Graff a volunteer with the Ontario California Rancho Cucamonga CA Police departments, Mr. Dale Baugh a volunteer with the El Paso Texas Police Department and Mr. Al Agellon a volunteer with the Tucson Police Department s Police Assist Group. To date President Bush has met with over 450 individuals around the country since March 2002. In Memory of Mr. Al Shapiro, Chino Hills, CA, Citizens Patrol Long time member of the San Bernardino County, CA, Sheriff's, Chino Hills Station, Citizens Patrol unit, Al Shapiro passed away in December 2005 of natural causes. Mr. Shapiro was an active member of the unit for over 15 years and after joining along with his wife Dolly who passed away several years ago. Al was also active in the local RSVP program educating seniors on how to avoid being a victim of Investment Fraud for which he was awarded the 2003 Distinguished Service Award. Al will always be remembered for his smile and wit which we will all miss. In Memory of Mr. Don Hudspeth, Kitsap County, WA, Sheriff's Citizens Patrol Mr. Hudspeth joined the Kitsap County Citizens Patrol unit in the spring of 2001. He was part of the pioneer group that transformed their volunteers from strictly handicapped parking enforcement into full fledged Citizens On Patrol duties. In the fall of 2005 he was presented the Coordinator s Award by Deputy Pete Ball for outstanding service to the unit which represents those that consistently go above and beyond in their work with the unit. Don averaged about 40 hours per month to the unit and also volunteered lots of time at the local Naval hospital. Don demonstrated his dedication to being a Citizen Patrol volunteer by traveling to the annual NACOP conference for several years with his last trip being at the October 2005 event. He was 65 years old and just shy of his 66th birthday when he left us. He retired from the navy as a Senior Master Chief after 33 years of service. Don was a tremendous asset to his unit and will be greatly missed. If you'd like to share noteworthy information about your Citizen Patrol group or a special Volunteer, please forward your information to us for review and possible inclusion in a future edition of "Eyes and Ears". 6
QUICK TIPS FOR RECOGNIZING VOLUNTEERS Brought to you by the Public Safety Volunteer Institute 7 Gold Level 500 hours or more. 4,000 hours or more over a lifetime Bronze Level 0 to 249 hours Silver Level 250 to 499 hours The President s Volunteer Service Award was created by President George Bush and managed by the White House USA Freedom Corps to recognize the tens of millions of Americans who have made a sustained commitment to volunteer service. Upon taking office in 2000, President Bush challenged each American to donate at least 4,000 hours of service during their life time. The Award is given to individuals, families and groups that have demonstrated outstanding volunteer service and civic participation over the course of a 12-month period. To implement the program simply go to the program's web site, and register your department as a "certifying agency" at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov. Once that step is completed, your volunteers can begin logging their own hours on the program's web site and work towards the various awards offered above. Upon reaching the various levels, a nominal fee of approximately $2.00 per award is charged per volunteer for this high quality award. Police and Sheriff's Volunteer Coordinators meeting at the recent Southern California "How to Recruit, Manage, Reward and Retain your Law Enforcement Volunteers" workshop presented by the Public Safety Volunteer Institute.
NACOP SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE Chino Hills, Southern California, October 1, 2005 The following are some of the large group pictures from the NACOP 2005 National Conference 8 Pictured Above: Partial group photo of conference attendees Pictured Above: Group photo of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Volunteers On Patrol, recipients of the "Largest Combined Agency Attendance" award Pictured Above: Group photo of the El Monte Police VCAP's, Volunteers Caring & Patrolling, recipients of the "Largest Single Agency Attendance" award Pictured Above: Group photo of the Fullerton Police Volunteers with Coordinator Maureen Flynn Becerra Pictured Above: Group photo of the Camarillo Police Citizen Patrol Volunteers formed 30 Years ago!!
NACOP SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE Southern California, October 1, 2005 Pictured below are photos from the end of conference caravan at the Sixth annual NACOP conference. The total number of COP patrol vehicles taking part in the caravan was 72 which topped the July 31, 2004 Florida conference caravan of 69 vehicles by three. Pictures and video from the caravan are being sent to the Guiness Book of World Records to request a new record category. 9
NACOP SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 1, 2005 The following pictures are some of the patrol vehicles at the 6th Annual National Citizens Patrol Conference Pictured above: Best in Show Patrol Vehicle, Temecula Police Citizens Action Patrol Vehicle Pictured above: Second Runner Up, Best in Show, Pomona Police Citizens Patrol Vehicle Perris Citizens Patrol Newest Patrol Vehicle took Third Runner Up, Best In Show Pictured above: Most Unique Patrol Vehicle Award Camarillo Police COP Hybrid Gas & Electric Vehicle Pictured above: Most Unique Show Vehicle Award Madera County Sheriff's COP Electric Vehicle Above: Furthest Driven Patrol Car to the Conference Surprise, Arizona, Police Citizens Patrol Vehicle
NACOP SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 1, 2005 The following pictures are some of the patrol vehicles at the 6th Annual National Citizens Patrol Conference 11
NACOP SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 1, 2005 The following pictures are some of the attendees at the 6th Annual National Citizens Patrol Conference 12
NACOP SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 1, 2005 The following pictures are some of the attendees at the 6th Annual National Citizens Patrol Conference 13
NACOP SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 1, 2005 The following pictures are of our Speakers and Presenters at the Sixth Annual NACOP Conference Pictured above: Secret Service Regional Agent in Charge, Christopher Butler speaks on Identity Theft Pictured Above: Regional Meth Task Force Agent Mike Richardson speaks on how to recognize meth labs. Pictured Above: Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles County Sheriff's, presenting the NACOP Citizen Action Award Pictured Above: Sheriff John Anderson, Madera County Sheriff's, thanking the volunteers for their commitment. Noted Psychologist Dr. Steven Sclan speaks on the topic of "Looking into the mind of a Terrorist" Mr. John Walsh, Host of America's Most Wanted, addresses the group via a video tape message
2005 NACOP Award Recipients 15 Citizen Patrol Volunteer of the Year Mr. Jim Walker Camarillo, CA, Police Citizens Patrol Volunteer Coordinator of the Year Officer Maureen Becerra, Fullerton, CA, Police Department Citizen Action Award Co-Recipient, Ms. Linda Olson (center) Presented by Sheriff Lee Baca (right) Citizen Action Award Co-Recipient Ms. Amber Deahn (not present for award presentation) Largest Attended Combined Agency Award Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Largest Attended Single Agency Award El Monte California Police Department
2005 Sixth Annual Conference Various Photos 16 Pictured Above: El Monte, CA, Police VCAP Honor Guard opened the day with the posting of our nations colors. Pictured Above: Conference attendees from out of town gather the night before the conference at a planned BBQ. Pictured above: Attendees receive various Patrol Vehicle awards including Best in Show, Most Unique, etc. Pictured above: Attendees receive various awards including Chelsea AL COP's Furthest Traveled to the Conference. Pictured above R to L: Sgt. Rick Viola of the Mountain Home Idaho Police with Citizen Action award recipient Ms. Linda Olson and MHPD COP Gary Walker
2006 East and West Citizen Patrol Conference Previews Southeastern Regional Citizens Patrol Conference 45 minutes southeast of Orlando, Florida and 2 miles from the beach in Melbourne, Florida, on Saturday, July 15, 2006 at the Florida Institute of Technology Gleason Performing Arts Center << Presented by the National Association Citizens On Patrol with funding from the >> Open to all active Citizen Patrol, Police and Sheriff's Volunteers and their coordinators. There is NO cost to attend. This regional conference is brought to you complements of the U.S. DOJ's Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance s Grant to the NACOP. Please note, attendees must be in uniform and be sure to bring all your volunteer patrol vehicles for photo opportunities. TO REGISTER, Please visit our web site, www.nacop.org and click on the Summer 2006 Florida Conference link. You'll also find additional information, local hotel listings, current agenda, etc., on our web site. Developing Agenda for Saturday, July 15, 2006 Florida COP Conference 9:00am Welcome and opening remarks, Agenda Review, Keynote Speaker Video Tributes to Citizen Patrol Volunteers, Volunteer Coordinators, and to our Brave Men and Women fighting the war against terrorism The Seven Early Warning Signs of Terrorism Speaker: Mr. Tom Carney, Director of Police Services, North Miami Beach Police 15 Minute Break Protecting Your Back Ever find your back sore after sitting in a patrol car for long periods of time or after directing traffic, picking up a set of traffic cones, etc. Dr. Bair, a noted Chiropractor and Reserve Police Officer of the Year will show why and how to protect yourself from future injuries. Speaker: Dr. John Bair, Brea, California, 11:30-1:30 Lunch and Networking Time. This special two hour period can be used for attendees to eat lunch and meet with others from throughout Florida and beyond, take pictures and view the many C.O.P. Patrol Cars onsite from numerous groups and complete their ballot cards for the various awards to be given at days end. All you can eat lunch buffet available at the Evans Dinning Hall for $7.00 There are also many restaurants in the immediate area to purchase lunch from. Sexual Predators, Who are they and How to Protect our Nations Children" 15 Minute Break The Dangers of Downed Power Lines and how to Deal with them Speaker: Pending Speaker: Florida Light and Power 4:00 pm End of Conference, awards presentation for patrol cars, uniforms, etc. as voted by the attendees. 17 Be Sure to Mark Your Calendars for October 7, 2006, Seventh Annual NACOP Conference & Awards Presentation, the October 6th Coordinators meeting and Friday night BBQ to be held in Chino Hills, Southern California. Please check our web site for more details, developing agenda and registration information.
Organization Snapshot Kitsap County WA Citizens Patrol Year Started: 1999 Number of Members: 25 City Population: 240,000 Website: http://cops.homestead.com NACOP MEMBER PROFILE: KITSAP COUNTY, WASHINGTON, SHERIFF'S CITIZENS ON PATROL 18 A discussion with Deputy Pete Ball, Citizen Patrol Coordinator for the Kitsap County, Washington, Sheriff's Citizen Patrol Unit. By Arthur Femister Provide an overview of your community, where the C.O.P. group operates (population, size, etc) Kitsap County, Washington, has a population of 240,000. The county is about 393 square miles and has a shoreline larger than any county in the contiguous United States. The major industries in the county are the Department of Defense, healthcare, tourism and forest products and it is the home base of one of only two Trident submarine bases in the world. The major cities and populations of each are, Bremerton, 38,000, Bainbridge Island, 22,000, Port Orchard, 8,000, and Poulsbo, 7,200. Who started the C.O.P organization and why? A concerned citizen from the county lobbied for a change in the law to allow trained citizens in the State of Washington to enforce the disabled parking law. The bill was passed by the legislature. This organization was then formed by the Kitsap County Sheriff s Office (KCSO). After two years, a member went to an NACOP Conference and recommended our group should join the NACOP and we did. After becoming affiliated with the NACOP, our organization changed our name to Kitsap County Citizens On Patrol and expanded our mission. How many people were initially involved and what did the organization look like then? The unit was organized in 1999 with four members and was supervised by the Crime Prevention Officer of the KCSO. The original four members are still active in the organization. (See photo of the original members in our original uniforms on next page.) Pictured above; Front row: Kurt Corey, Dick Todd, Don Hudspeth, Bob Kuligowski, & Dave Ojima. Middle row: John Albright, Jim Karosich, Denee Lambert, Mike Kennedy, Dianne Canafax, Carl Fleischmann, Bob Smolinsky, Rick Gonzales & Deputy Pete Ball. Back row: Ray Goforth, Shirley McConnell, Terry Strieck, Pat Garrett, Bob Croghan & Bill Mullins. Missing: Doug Abundis, John Forsdal, Doug Billings, Jack Dent, Pat Johnson, Bob Paulsen & Donny Shurland. The initial goal was to enforce the disabled parking laws only. The members were given a limited commission to issue citations for this infraction. What types of challenges did you face initially and what are they now if any? The members were faced with the challenges of being accepted by the public and some of the Deputy Sheriffs as volunteers. The uniform was a green plastic vest and a black cap with VOLUNTEER printed in large block letters on both the cap and vest. If you have patrol cars, what was your first patrol car, (make, model, condition, etc.) The first patrol cars were our privately owned vehicles with magnetic signs on the doors identifying us as members of the KCSO. We even supplied our own fuel. The first county owned car we used as a patrol car was a castoff 1990 Ford van in less than good condition. This vehicle was near the end of its useful life. It had several breakdowns before it was finally retired. What does your Citizen Patrol car fleet look like now, how many cars, what type, etc. The unit now has three 1996 Ford Crown Victoria retired deputies vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with two-way radios, cell phones, mobile computer terminals (MCT) with computer aided dispatch (CAD), and yellow light bars. The cars are green in color with markings very similar as the deputies cars except ours are identified as Citizens On Patrol with other Sheriff markings. What were your initial goals, crime reduction Pictured above: Dianne Canafax and John only, assist law enforcement with traffic, etc. Albright write a Notice of Infraction citation.
What type of uniforms do you have? Polo shirts? Sheriffs uniforms? Combination? The members now wear a county provided grey shirt with epaulets and cloth badge, green trousers, black cap with embroidered star badge and embroidered COP UNIT under the star, black basket weave belt, and black jacket. The uniforms are different from the deputies but the two shoulder patches are the same that they wear. Pictured above, original members: Doug Abundis, Shirley McConnell, Dick Todd, and Kurt Covey in the beginning. How many Citizen Patrol volunteers do you actively have now? We have 25 Volunteers at this time. What type of equipment do your members carry? Flashlights? Cuffs? Pepper Spray? etc. The members carry flashlights, portable twoway radios, pepper spray has recently been approved, and related safety gear provided by the county. Some members carry privately owned cell phones which often become handy. Where is your Citizen Patrol office located? Our office is in the patrol vehicles with mailboxes and storage of equipment and paperwork in various KCSO stations in the county. This affords us a good opportunity for interaction with other KCSO personnel. How do you communicate between cars, volunteers and Law Enforcement? Cell phones, radios? Each vehicle is equipped with wired-in cell phones, mobile two-way radios and mobile computer terminals. Off-duty communication between members is primarily by e-mail. NACOP MEMBER PROFILE: KITSAP COUNTY, WASHINGTON, SHERIFFS CITIZENS ON PATROL How do you dispatch Citizen Patrol volunteers to accident scenes or calls for LE assistance? The 911 dispatchers and other law enforcement units can contact the Citizens On Patrol members by the mobile computer terminal, mobile two-way radio or cell phone. The unit maintains a phone tree for off-duty callouts of members to assist special LE activities. What type on initial training do Citizen Patrol volunteers get and is there any ongoing training? There is 24 hours of classroom training, four hours riding with a deputy, two four hour shifts with two COP members on patrol and then riding with a field training officer (FTO) until the FTO feels the trainee is competent to patrol with any COP member, two one-hours sessions in traffic court, and a four-hour session with a 911 dispatcher. Ongoing training includes but is not limited to ACCESS/WACIC, First Aid/CPR, Blood Borne Pathogens, Emergency Vehicle Operation Course, Diffusing Potentially Violent Situations, Notice of Infraction Data Entry, Methamphetamine Lab Recognition, Safe/Defensive Driving, and Diversity and Anti-Harassment. During the monthly meetings we often have training sessions. Do you offer any Special Services to the public or LE such as fingerprinting, vacation checks, traffic control, crime scene control, stolen car checks, etc? Unit members do vacation checks, traffic control, special events, abandoned vehicle checks, VIN checks, parking enforcement, eyes and ears patrols, business checks, small business and home security checks. What are the qualifications to become a Citizen Patrol member and what type of background check do applicants go through? Members must be 21 years old or older, possess a valid Washington State driver s license, have a good driving record with no suspensions, pass a background check similar to the deputies background check and successfully pass either a Computerized Voice Stress Analysis or polygraph test. The applicant is then interviewed by the unit coordinator, captain, lieutenant, and the county Volunteer Services 19 Coordinator. What were your most current year s statistics such as amount of miles patrolled, total hours volunteered by all members, drop in crime rate due to C.O.P., specific crimes stopped in progress or caught? During calendar year 2005 unit members volunteered a total of 12,003 hours, (of those hours, about 7,000 were actual patrol duties the other 5,000 were other events and training) an almost % increase in total hours from 2004, Disabled Parking tickets written 747, other tickets: 99, warnings (written and verbal combined: 1,756, vacation house checks: 7, abandoned vehicle towing: 916, junk vehicle processing: 596 What is your number one ongoing challenge, assuming you have one? I feel my biggest challenge is increasing the number of patrol hours in parts of the county and increasing the evening patrol hours in all parts of the county. How do you recruit new members and what is your average turn over of members? Initial training is conducted once each year. We have recruiting booths at events, talk to groups, give flyers to interested persons, maintain a high visibility in public, newspaper articles and word of mouth. The turnover is very low. We average less than 1.5 persons that quit the unit each of the years of our existence. How do you rate the overall acceptance of your C.P. group with the public and LE department? Acceptance by the public has been extremely high. The perception is the unit has been well received by most of the law enforcement with which we come into contact. Pictured above, one of the Kitsap Citizen Patrol vehicles pictured at the 2004 NACOP Conference winning the "Furthest Driven Patrol Vehicle to the Conference" award.
NACOP MEMBER PROFILE: KITSAP COUNTY, WASHINGTON, SHERIFFS CITIZENS ON PATROL 20 Pictured above: Kitsap County Sheriff's patch represents the Olympic mountains seen from the county and the deep waters of Hood Canel which is home to one of only two Trident Submarine bases in the world hence the submarine with King Neptune's Trident pictured in the patch. If you could wave a magic wand and get whatever you wanted for your Citizen Patrol group, what one thing would you ask for? As a group, we have more than one thing on our wish list. We would like a rechargeable flashlight and portable radio for each member, dedicated office space, and more and better or newer patrol cars. What are the most common issues/problems you face (if you wish to discuss this)? We would like to be better staffed to be able to cover all the civil events that we are asked to support. What is your annual operating budget in dollars, assuming you have one? This is difficult to quantify because it is a part of the Community Resource Officer s budget. What special events do you provide support for such as High School football games, Fairs, Graduations, traffic control, etc? We control the disabled parking lot at the Kitsap County Fair, provide traffic control for the hazardous waste collection, provide traffic control for the Soapbox Derby because the street had to be closed to traffic, provide security for the Tractor Pull Exhibit, judge for a bus driving competition, provide traffic control for a community salmon bake, helped with child ID at public displays, participate in several parades, and provide security and traffic controls at several walks and runs. Has any Citizen Patrol member ever been injured while performing their duties? We re very happy to report the most serious injury occurred during an interesting story that happened to a member while on patrol. While he was obtaining forms from the trunk of his patrol vehicle, he received a sharp blow on his head. His first thought was someone had smacked him across his head. He looked over to his partner and saw he had a surprised look on his face because he heard the slap. A goose had flown overhead and dropped a poop bomb. It hit him on the back of his head, across his equipment belt, down one side of his trousers, and onto one shoe. In addition the goose managed to hit the inside of the trunk and the paperwork. Both he and the cruiser were a mess, not much of the bomb reached the ground. The whole thing was so bazaar, they could only laugh. How do you motivate, recognize and reward your Citizen Patrol Volunteers? There is an annual awards banquet hosted by the county for our Citizen Patrol Volunteers. Several people from the Sheriff's Office are invited and attend. Placards and certificates are given to the volunteers. The Sheriff never misses an opportunity to praise the unit. Most Significant Event While no single event stands out, our members have extinguished fires, had drunk drivers and individuals with warrants arrested, located suspect thieves, found stolen autos, participated in all-unit callouts to search for missing persons and more. Kitsap County Citizen Patrol Volunteers Receive their Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award for 500 plus hours of service. Pictured above from Left to Right: COP Coordinator Deputy Pete Ball, Kurt Corey, Sheriff Steve Boyer, Shirley McConnell, Jim Karosigh, Dick Todd, and John Albright.
Volunteer Coordinators Training Sponsored Advertisement 21 Public Safety Volunteer Institute, P.O. Box 727, Corona, CA, 92878-0727 Office: 951-279-6893 www.psvi.org Fax: 951-279-1915 Learn How to Start, Improve and/or Fund Your Citizens Patrol or Volunteer Organization by Attending a Two-Day Workshop being held across the nation in 2006; "How to Recruit, Manage, Reward and Retain Police Volunteers" and/or One Day Workshop "Fundraising and Grants for Your Volunteer Organization" These workshops are one of a kind in the nation for Police, Sheriff's and Public Safety Agencies. Come see why close to 500 of Public Safety Agencies from over 35 states have attended these workshops with great success since 2003. Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed or your money back, it's that simple! NACOP members, mention this ad and receive a 15% discount on workshop fees. To learn more, log onto: www.psvi.org for a current list of workshops across the nation or to learn about hosting a workshop at your agency.
MEMBERSHIP ROSTER 22 Alabama Chelsea, Alabama Arizona Surprise, Arizona California Bell Gardens Police Volunteers Brea Police Community Action Patrol Buena Park Police Volunteers Camarillo Citizens Patrol Calimesa Citizens Patrol Cathedral City Police Citizens Patrol Colton Police Citizen Volunteers Covina Police Citizen Volunteers Dinuba Police Community Volunteers El Monte Police Volunteers Caring and Patrolling Escondido Police Volunteers Fullerton Police Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol Humboldt County Sheriff's Citizens On Patrol Jurupa Valley Citizens Patrol Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department Volunteers on Patrol La Habra Police Volunteers La Palma Police Department Volunteers in Policing Long Beach Police Volunteers Madera County Sheriffs Citizens Patrol Monterey Park Citizens Patrol Montclair Citizens Patrol Norco Citizens Patrol Nuevo Citizens Patrol Palm Springs Police Citizens Patrol Palm Desert Citizens Patrol Perris Citizens Patrol Pleasanton Police Department Volunteers Quail Valley Community Crime Watch Rancho Mirage Citizens Patrol Riverside Police Citizens Patrol Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Citizens Volunteers Santa Paula Police Citizens Patrol Seal Beach Police Volunteer Patrol Spring Valley Lake COPS SBCSD Thousand Oaks Police, Volunteers In Policing Twentynine Palms SBCSD Citizens Patrol Whittier Police Volunteers Delaware Ocean View Police, Citizen Auxiliary Patrol Florida Clearwater Police Volunteers Cocoa Police Volunteer Citizen Observer Patrol Coral Gables Citizen's Mobile Patrol Indian River County Citizens Patrol Lantana Citizens on Patrol North Miami Beach Police Citizens Patrol Okeechobee County Sheriff Citizens Observer Patrol Orange County Sheriff's Community Volunteer Patrol Royal Palm beach Volunteer Community Service Unit Sanford Police Department Citizens On Patrol Satellite Beach Police Volunteers Idaho Mountain Home Police Citizens On Patrol Iowa Red Oak, Iowa, Red Oak Citizens Patrol Missouri Bel-Ridge Police Citizens Patrol New Jersey Ocean Grove Citizens Patrol New York 1th Precinct Citizen Observer Patrol North Carolina Kinston Police Sential Volunteers Forsyth County Sheriff's Citizens Patrol Louisiana Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Citizen Observer Patrol Oregon Josephine County Sheriff's Office Volunteers Texas Frisco Police Department Citizens On Patrol McKinley Citizens Patrol Midland Citizens Patrol Odessa Citizens Patrol Virginia Bedford County Sheriff's Office Volunteers/CPAAA Leesburg Citizen Support Team Loudoun County Sheriff's Auxiliary Police Washington Kitsap County Citizens Patrol Spokane C.O.P.'s
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES JOIN US AND HELP SUPPORT YOUR C.O.P.'s Member Organizations of the National Association Citizens On Patrol receive the following benefits, services, and products: 23 Nationwide Professional status for your Citizen Patrol Organization; Personalized Web Site and domain name for each member organization (www.nacop.org/your name) available for viewing by over 180 million people. Professionally maintained and updated. Monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; Ability to nominate your Citizen Patrol Volunteer(s) for annual "Citizen Patrol Volunteer of the Year" and or "Citizen Patrol Medal of Valor" awards presented at our annual conference. Quarterly Newsletters for members with helpful information and articles; Receive Free Monthly e-mail Updates of Citizen Patrol News Stories Around the World; Free access to our Video Training Library of Past Conference Informational Sessions; NACOP member window decals; Discounts to annual NACOP National Citizen Patrol conference; Discounts on products and services. Annual Membership Fees for Organizations and Individuals 1-25 members $125.00 51-75 members $225.00 26-50 members $175.00 76-0 members $275.00 $50.00 per year for each additional 25 Individual Membership Fee $25.00 per year - (does not include web site or Video Training Library) Law Enforcement Coordinators and Chief of Police/Station Commanders are included free with each C.O.P. groups membership. Special Savings Offers Prepay the First Two Years and Receive the Third Year Free And/or Help Us Achieve Our Goal of having NACOP Member groups in All 50 States, if Your Group is the First in it's State, Pay for One Year & Receive the Second Year Free! For a small average investment of just $5.00 per volunteer per year you can join us and the thousands of Citizen Patrol volunteers in our membership. Show your Citizen Patrol Volunteers you care and let your Organization, City, and Department benefit from the status, recognition, and services we deliver. Together, we can and will continue to make a difference! Log onto to www.nacop.org and Click On "Join Us" to download a membership application today! The does not endorse or represent any individual Citizen Patrol members or groups. Further, we do not endorse or represent any political activities, candidates, or specific law enforcement departments.
Published by the National Association Citizens On Patrol P.O. Box 727 Corona, CA 92878-0727 Check out the People and Programs Making a Difference and Protecting our Communities and Homeland All Across America! Pictured above, Citizen Patrol Volunteers stage their patrol vehicles for the end of conference freeway caravan to show their pride and help gain recognition for their service to the nation. Please see page nine for more pictures of this event and be sure to join us on October 7, 2006 for the NACOP seventh annual conference and see the video tape of all 72 patrol vehicles in motion.