sheriff`s volunteers on patrol program

MEMORANDUM
RANCHO PALOS VERDES
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
FROM:
CAROLYNN PETRU, ACTING CITY MANAGER ®
DATE:
FEBRUARY 17, 2015
SUBJECT:
SHERIFF'S VOLUNTEERS ON PATROL PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION
Receive an oral report from Captain Bolin regarding proposed measures to expand and
enhance the Sheriff's Volunteers on Patrol (VOP) program as a crime prevention tool.
BACKGROUND
The City experienced a 65% increase in residential burglaries within the fourth quarter
of 2014. Other property crimes, including vehicle burglaries and stolen vehicles, also
increased during the same period. Specific incidents prompted two residents to
· address the City Council at the December 2, 2014 meeting, requesting action from the
Sheriff's Department and the City to combat and reverse the current crime trend .
Unfortunately, the trend has continued during the first quarter of 2015, including a home
invasion robbery that occurred on January 11, 2015 in the adjacent City of Palos
Verdes Estates.
At the January 20, 2015 City Council meeting, during the discussion of Future Agenda
Items, Councilman Misetich raised the issue of expanding the existing Volunteers on
Patrol (VOP) program at the Lomita Sheriff's Station. In addition, Mayor Pro Tern
Brooks asked the City to consider placing a video camera on Palos Verdes Drive South
near the City's eastern boundary at 25th Street. The general consensus of the Council
was for staff to bring these two matters forward as soon as possible as regular agenda
items, rather than wait to hear them as Study Session items.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Volunteers on Patrol (VOP) program is comprised of
non-sworn community-spirited citizens who provide a minimum of 16 hours of their time
per month to assist the Sheriff's Department in performing non-hazardous patrol duties.
VOPs can be identified by their white uniform shirt, navy blue trousers and gold on blue
shoulder patch. Volunteers' patrol in teams of two in white vehicles identified as
"Volunteers on Patrol" and bear the LASO emblem.
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Topic: Sheriff's Volunteers on Patrol Program
Date: February 17, 2015
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The volunteers have various responsibilities, primarily non-hazardous duties, which
have traditionally been performed by patrol deputies. This program; therefore, allows
patrol deputies to perform the more hazardous duties that they have been trained to do,
thus helping the Department to better achieve its goal of serving the community.
Listed below are some examples of the duties that Volunteers on Patrol perform
throughout the County:
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Patrolling the community for criminal activity
Patrolling the community for safety hazards
Conducting school safety checks
Conducting shopping mall checks
Conducting residential vacation checks
Conducting business checks
Conducting park safety checks
Patrolling for graffiti and property damage
Performing fire watch
Conducting traffic control
Performing non-hazardous directed patrol assignments
Searching for missing children
Assisting disabled persons
Assisting at sobriety check points
DISCUSSION
The Lomita Sheriff's Station currently has approximately 70 volunteers serving in its
VOP program. This volunteer base was dramatically increased from approximately 25
volunteers in FY12-13 in response to a request from City Council for the Sheriff's
Station to expand the program to provide a total of 1,920 hours of no-cost patrol time in
the City. There are currently four to five VOP vehicles available for the volunteers' use
at the Lomita Station. The Lomita Sheriff's Station also has one of the largest and most
active volunteer Mounted Posses in the County.
With the recent uptick in residential property crimes, the Council has again requested
additional assistance from the VOP to be the "eyes and ears" of the Lomita Sheriff's
Station out in the community to detect and report crime, and to act as a crime deterrent
through their presence and high visibility patrolling the City's streets. Captain Bolin will
make an oral presentation at tonight's meeting on strategies to further build
membership in the program, increase their value to the community, and address ways
the City can support the VOP, such as possibly funding additional vehicles, equipment
or uniforms for the volunteers, which can be considered during the upcoming FY15-16
budget cycle, and/or offering in-kind support of volunteer recruitment and recognition
efforts.
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Topic: Sheriff's Volunteers on Patrol Program
Date: February 17, 2015
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Based on Council's direction at the January 20th meeting, staff is also working on
putting together information regarding the placement of a video camera on Palos
Verdes Drive South at La Rotonda Drive. An existing commercial antenna facility has
been identified as a potentially co-location site. Staff is still gathering data and cost
information regarding the project, and intends to presents the results to City Council at
an upcoming meeting in March 2015.
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