NCJ Number
179760
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 10 Dated: October 1999 Pages: 204-210
Date Published
1999
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Police agencies have been using volunteers in varied roles for many years; in a recent survey, 81 percent of the responding agencies reported that they use volunteers in some capacity.
Abstract
Sixty-five percent of the participating agencies also reported that volunteers are equally useful to all police agencies, regardless of size. One police official comments that volunteers are essential to community policing. Agencies that do not use volunteers note space limitations, increasing regulations, liability, supervision needs, and the difficulty of attracting suitable volunteers. Word-of-mouth is the most common means of attracting volunteers. Other methods include radio, television, and print advertising; community access television, citizen academies, and fraternal organizations; and volunteer center referrals, block watches, and police agency websites. Police agencies report that volunteers save major amounts of money. Volunteers serve as greeters at ministations, park patrols, handicapped parking enforcement, crime watch captains, life skills training for women, child fingerprinting, tours of police agencies, victim-witness advocates, and clerical duties. Large agencies can afford to hire volunteer coordinators. Most agencies have established criteria for selecting volunteers and also conduct volunteer training. Police officials regard volunteers as an important way for agencies to enhance their images and improve their services. Photograph