CLEARLAKE – With a new Volunteer Academy tentatively set for February, the Clearlake Police Department is still looking for additional persons to join the ranks of our Volunteers in Policing Program (VIPs).

Department volunteers have quickly become a major component of the police department as they work hand in hand with officers and the citizens of Clearlake on a daily basis.

As a member of the VIPs, volunteers will perform a wide variety of functions such as vacation house checks, staffing the front counter, fingerprinting, volunteer patrol, traffic control, clerical work, neighborhood watch programs, child fingerprinting programs, vehicle maintenance, handicap parking enforcement, assisting with code enforcement, staffing at special events, crime victim follow-up contacts, business emergency contact list updates, and a wide range of other office and crime prevention duties.

Individuals must be 18 years of age or older. All volunteers must successfully pass a background investigation and a 24-hour training academy. The academy consists of a two-hour ridealong, a two-hour session in dispatch, a four-hour CPR training session, and 16 hours of assigned classroom training designed to familiarize the volunteer with police procedures, radio codes, traffic safety, driver awareness, crime prevention and other law enforcement procedures.

Volunteers will be asked to commit a minimum of four hours per week to participate in the program and will be assigned to areas that correspond to their interest.

For instance, not everyone will want to or be able to participate in patrolling the city, but instead may have interest in crime prevention programs, greeting the public or performing filing and data entry functions.

The department will strive to match volunteers to their area of interest and to provide learning opportunities. The volunteers will wear uniforms that are distinct from those worn by police officers and will only be assigned to nonhazardous duties.

The department's volunteers are hardworking individuals who are committed to providing a safer environment for the citizens of Clearlake and visitors.

Anyone interested in becoming a VIP can pick up an application in person or by calling the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251. For questions, please contact Lt. Mike Hermann.

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