The program would assist local law enforcement.
By Knowles Adkisson / The Malibu Times
Volunteers on Patrol, a program that enlists civilians to assist in law enforcement duties, is seeking more citizens in the community in order to get off the ground. Volunteers would perform nonhazardous duties such as vacation checks, assisting at DUI checkpoints and patrolling shopping centers, freeing up sheriff’s deputies to focus on more pressing duties.
The Malibu City Council agreed in December to purchase a vehicle for the program if enough people expressed interest, but so far just three people have signed up.
“Obviously, the more volunteers we have, the more often we can have the volunteer car out and about,” Mayor Pro Tem Laura Rosenthal told The Malibu Times.
Rosenthal hopes the program can help reduce crime and give people a feeling they have a stake in their community.
“It’s not always about spending more money, sometimes it’s about bringing the community together to solve problems,” Rosenthal said. “It’s a way for us, without spending a lot of money, to get more eyes and ears out in our community and especially on PCH.”
The program’s mission statement says the “primary objectives for the members shall be to prevent crime by mere presence, or identify public hazards.” Volunteers would patrol Malibu in the car provided by the city, which Rosenthal said would include a radio, and wear uniforms. They would not be authorized to issue tickets or arrest people. Nearby cities such as Calabasas and Hollywood already have VOP programs in place.
Volunteering in the program entails a commitment of 16 hours per month. Volunteers must have a valid California driver’s license, be 18 or older and not have any felonies on their record. Some of the other responsibilities of volunteers would include role playing at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Training Academy, conducting park safety checks and patrolling for graffiti and property damage.
In addition to pragmatic reasons for the program, Rosenthal said the volunteering could be enjoyable.
“We would always have two people doing it together, you’d never be doing it by yourself,” she said. “So it would be a fun thing for friends to do, or you could do it driving with one person, half [the time] with another.”
In anticipation of the summer tourism season, Rosenthal hopes the program will increase safety on Pacific Coast Highway, decrease crime, and “add to a general sense of our community feeling that they can be part of the solution.”
For questions regarding the Malibu VOP program, contact Deputy Shawn Brownell at 818.878.5506.