Citizens
On Patrol is a generic name used by many to describe a special
group of Law Enforcement Volunteers. As the name implies, Citizens
On Patrol are Citizens who, after being screened, background
checked, and trained by their local law enforcement agency, patrol
their communities acting as "Eyes and Ears" for law
enforcement. Citizens On Patrol are also referred to as
"Citizen Observer Patrols", "Community Action
Patrols", "Police Auxiliary Citizens Team",
"Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol", "Volunteers In
Policing", "Volunteers On Patrol", as well as other
names.
By
patrolling their community, on a regular basis, usually in 4-8
hour shifts, Citizen Patrol Volunteers become more familiar with
their community and are better able to recognize
"suspicious" activity and notify the authorities. Due to
their focused patrol activity, it is not uncommon for C.O.P.’s
to observe crimes in progress. C.O.P.’s do not take enforcement
action, they only observe and report. Citizen Patrol Volunteers
are not authorized to carry weapons and are encouraged to avoid
physical contact. C.O.P.’s greatest weapon is their established
bond with local law enforcement and their ability to communicate
directly with them by radio or cellular phones using special
dedicated phone numbers.
Other
common duties performed by Citizen Patrol groups is traffic
control at accident scenes, special events, crime scenes, fires,
in addition to focused patrols in high crime areas for deterrence.
By utilizing C.O.P. groups for such basic yet needed tasks, Police
and Sheriffs are able to spend more time on patrol and focus on
their primary mission. Another benefit to communities and law
enforcement agencies is cost savings. It is not uncommon for an
average size Citizen Patrol group of 50 members to provide a
budget savings of several hundred thousand dollars a year by
performing these duties. The funds saved can then be used to put
more Officers and Deputies on the streets or purchase needed
equipment. In addition to budget savings, it is not uncommon for
active Citizen Patrol groups to reduce crime by an average of 20
percent.
Properly
implemented, Citizen Patrol groups have proven to be an excellent
complement to law enforcement agencies. Using the same members of
the community that they protect and serve to help reduce crime is
the cornerstone of "Community Oriented Policing" and
"Weed and Seed" programs. Continued use and expansion of
Citizen Patrol groups throughout the nation is a vital ingredient
to help build strong bonds between citizens and law enforcement.
The
National Association Citizens On Patrol was founded by, and for,
Citizen Patrol Volunteers. As a non-profit, public benefit
corporation, the NACOP is the only organization in the world
dedicated to supporting the use and growth of Citizen Patrol
groups. By understanding the unique needs and requirements of
C.O.P. Volunteers and groups, we are able to focus our resources
where it will make the most impact. One of our primary efforts is
working to gain national recognition and wide spread knowledge of
Citizen Patrol groups. This Informational Brochure was developed
to help achieve that goal. We hope by bringing this to you, your
knowledge and understanding of Citizens On Patrol will be
increased along with your appreciation for the dedication of these
volunteers.
We
welcome any comments or feedback you may wish to share with us and
appreciate you taking the time to review this material.
Click
here to read some real life Citizen Patrol success stories
