Posts Tagged ‘volunteering’

May 1303

Q&A with A Law Enforcement Volunteer Manager – Part Two

In Part One of this series, we asked a civilian law enforcement volunteer manager to tell us about this unique law enforcement job. Today, we will hear from a sworn law enforcement officer for whom volunteer management is just one part of a busy job.

Lieutenant Michael Nelsen, Brigham City, Utah, Police Department

In addition to volunteer management, what are some of your other job duties at BCPD?

I am the Operations Lieutenant.  I oversee all patrol functions of the patrol and traffic officers.  I also oversee the Animal Control Officers and the Animal Shelter.  I am the primary Public Information Officer for our Police Department.  I am a member of the SWAT Team and am commander of the Negotiations Unit.  I am also the Safety Officer for the Department.   I further oversee our K-9 units, bicycle officers, training division, Field Training Officers, and the physical fitness of the Department. I currently serve on the Utah State Citizens Corp Council to help get more volunteers involved in emergency response.

How would you define the role of a law enforcement volunteer manager?

The primary duties of a law enforcement volunteer manager are to get the program running and keep it running.  As a law enforcement officer, my primary job is the police work, but the volunteer coordinator role is an essential part of police work. It allows us to have volunteers that can help and assist our officers and office staff.  Many times it is hard to find time to accomplish everything that is put on your plate, so the volunteers are a big help.

What are some of the things that make the job of a volunteer coordinator unique from other jobs in law enforcement?

We have a small group of volunteers at the BCPD, so it does not take the time that it would in a large Department.  It is also different in that I can make Officers and employees do something, where with volunteers, they are just that; volunteers. I am just grateful for what service they can give.  Many of them have other full time jobs and cannot give like an employee does. One challenge is that I have a budget for the Officers and their needs, but do not have one for the volunteers, so we have to be unique in thinking of different ways to get funds for uniforms or other volunteer program needs.

What is a typical day on the job like for you?

As a Police Officer, nothing is typical.  Although many of the days are the same.  In a typical day:  I review all cases that our Officers handled in the last 24 hours.  I report anything necessary to the Chief of Police.  I arrange for all tours and public speaking that needs to be done or followed up on.  I meet daily with the local newspaper and depending on activities, I meet with other media outlets.  I approve training requests and purchase requests from our Officers each day.  I review the budgets of the groups I oversee.  We are currently down two Officers, so I frequently respond as a back-up Officer to assist with Domestic Violence, family fights, traffic accidents and many other cases where an Officer needs a back-up.  Much of the day is full of paper work and keeping stats that are required of me.  I have to review complaints as they come in and follow through with any citizens that feel they were not treated fairly.

To learn more about Brigham City Police Department’s volunteer program, click here.

Apr 1329

Q&A with A Law Enforcement Volunteer Program Manager, Part One

According to the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program Directory, there are more than 2,270 volunteer programs at law enforcement agencies around the country. Supervisory and management structures vary by program, but each program has a volunteer coordinator or volunteer program manager who oversees the volunteers. This volunteer program manager position may be sworn or civilian depending on the agency. Volunteer management is a full time position in some agencies, while in others the role may be taken on combined with other duties. In Part One of this two-part series, we asked a civilian law enforcement volunteer manager to tell us about this unique law enforcement job.

Marjorie Trachtman, Volunteer Program Coordinator, Bellevue, Washington, Police Department

Marjorie (fifth from the left) is the Washington representative for the VIPS State Advocate Network.

Marjorie (fifth from the left) is the Washington representative for the VIPS State Advocate Network.

How would you define the role of a law enforcement volunteer manager?

My primary mission is to sustain and manage (as opposed to build, since my program is in its mature phase at this point) a cadre of citizen volunteers who perform assignments that free up paid staff to focus on their primary law enforcement responsibilities, and who allow us to offer additional or enhanced services to our citizens. My duties encompass everything from developing new assignments, through recruiting, screening, placement, training development, performance monitoring, recognition and retention, staff/volunteer relations, recordkeeping, and PR/marketing.

What are some of the things that make the job of a volunteer coordinator unique from other jobs in law enforcement?

The nature of what I do requires a broad, birds-eye view of what’s going on in the Department, so I can look for new opportunities to involve volunteers where appropriate anywhere in the Department. Most other jobs focus on just one aspect of operations. This job also is almost 100% relationship-based: I need to sustain good relationships not only with my volunteers but with staff as well, so that they continue to support and welcome volunteers into the work environment. I have to reconcile and mesh, if you will, the hierarchical, paramilitary, regimented nature of a police department with a civilian volunteer program that, by its own nature, has to operate with a less directive and more supportive philosophy. I’m the go-between that makes that balance work. There is no other position in the Department that walks that tightrope.

What is a typical day on the job like for you?

There is no such thing as a typical day! I may be working on a background investigation for a prospective volunteer candidate; working on a recognition event; helping solve a problem related to someone’s computer access issues; arranging/coordinating training requirements; preparing program statistics for my manager; meeting with staff to discuss a possible new assignment; responding to a request for assistance from another agency; reviewing and revising part of our policy and procedure manual; heading out to have some face time with volunteers who work off-site at one of our Community Stations; doing a ride-along to help maintain good relations with the officers… There’s a lot of variety about the job and that’s one thing that I love.

Any other tips for a prospective law enforcement volunteer manager?

The most effective people I’ve met in this job have strong leadership skills, as opposed to being just good managers or coordinators: the phrase I use when I teach my leadership workshop is that as leaders they set a vision, set a course, and set an example. They understand that the volunteers look to them to be an advocate and for guidance, and that staff look to them to make sure that the organization’s mission is not compromised by any aspect of the program. In my opinion the most important qualities for someone to be happy and successful in this job include a sense of humor (huge!), creativity in problem solving, persistence, the ability to set your own ego aside in service to the Department and your volunteers, skills as a negotiator/mediator, and the ability to adapt your personal communication style to relate to others in whatever way is most effective for them rather than for you.

Apr 1308

Twice the Citizen: Reserve Officers Serve Law Enforcement and Communities

National Volunteer Week is April 21-27, so this month on the blog, we will feature several topics related to law enforcement volunteering.

Framingham, Massachusetts, Police Department Auxiliary 4Sir Winston Churchill referred those in military reserve forces as “twice a citizen” for their service to both the armed forces and to the country at large. Likewise, law enforcement reserve officers, sometimes called auxiliary officers or special constables, are “twice the citizen” to their law enforcement agency and their communities. They are part-time, volunteer sworn officers who offer supplemental support to law enforcement agencies. Becoming a reserve or auxiliary volunteer is a great stepping stone to a career in law enforcement. It can help you build experience, training credentials, and professional connections.

A few fun facts of about the history of police reserves from the Reserve Police Officers Association:

  • Volunteer constables could be found in England as early as the 10th Century. Their early duties included executing warrants, transporting prisoners, and “removing vagabonds.”
  • Volunteer officers first appeared in the United States in 1651 when the sheriff of the colony of Virginia introduced a volunteer posse to keep the peace, arrest law breakers, survey land, and announce marriages.
  • Many auxiliary units still in existence today began in the 1940’s as a part of Civil Defense efforts to provide law enforcement services to communities that lost manpower to World War II.

Eaton County Sheriff Reserve ParadeThese days, reserve officer duties vary by agency and state. In many jurisdictions, reserve officers have the same authority as career officers to enforce laws and make arrests. Some reserve officers are armed and wear the same uniform as career officers, while others are unarmed and wear uniforms that designate them as reserve officers. Common duties include patrol, directing traffic, serving warrants or subpoenas, issuing parking citations, and emergency response.

Most reserve programs require candidates to go through the same background check and hiring process as paid sworn officers. Reserve members will typically go through the same police academy training as career officers, but some agencies offer a training academy specifically for reserve officers.

You can search for reserve volunteer opportunities in the Discover Policing Career Center and in the Volunteers in Police Service Program Directory.