The numbers are in and volunteers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided services worth over $11 million to L.A. County in 2014, according to the department.
A total of 450,993 hours were logged by members of the volunteer program to the department through various law enforcement support functions.
“The volunteers do so many different things,” Deputy Doug DeCesare with the Community/Law Enforcement Partnership Program said. “To give you an idea of the program, there’s no age discrimination. We have 18 to 80 year olds, college students to retirees. They each come in and say ‘I just want to be able to help the department.’”
Duties performed by 3,532 volunteers range from helping with clerical and administration support at the station to patrolling areas in a department vehicle or on horse with the Sheriff’s Mounted Posse.
In the country’s fourth largest local policing agency that employs more than 18,000 people, any additional hands on deck can help, especially in a community whose population fluctuates between 13,000 residents at any given time to millions of visitors during the summer.
“You’ll see the Sheriff’s Mounted Posse come and help out at Zuma Beach during Memorial and holiday weekends,” DeCesare said. “We also have the Mountain Enforcement Patrol.”
The Sheriff’s Mounted Posse has a long-standing reputation within the department, dating back to 1850 when the Sheriff and deputies performed patrols around Los Angeles on horseback.
Made up of seven units throughout the department, the posse includes approximately 130 members from Reserve Deputies, full-time sworn personnel and civilian volunteers. Members of the posse own their own horse and access to a trailer.
“Everybody that wants to be a volunteer on patrol has to go through the volunteer academy, driving training, patrol tactics and officer safety,” DeCesare said. “We try to teach the volunteers. They go out and help at road closures and they can also help with traffic.”
Volunteers play a crucial role during traffic control and while on patrol, not only saving the department money, but also allowing deputies on duty to respond quickly to situations as needed.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Volunteer program guidelines list “the purpose of volunteers is to tap into these skills to help the Sheriff’s Department achieve its goals in an effective and cost-efficient manner. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department views this as a means to assist those who reside in Los Angeles County by providing a service to their community.”
While Deputy DeCesare admits “there’s a million different things you can volunteer for,” some volunteers believe support services at the station are the best way they can be of service.
“Everybody that walks in here, they have a problem. I like being able to help them solve their problems,” Volunteer Mike Targon said at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s station front desk. “It’s never the same around here … it’s exhilarating. When I retired, I’d go on ride-alongs with them and thought maybe I could give back a little and volunteer.”
Other volunteer programs include the Malibu Search and Rescue team, which often responds to calls from stranded hikers or car accidents. In January of this year, the team worked with other agencies to return three hikers in Malibu Creek State Park to safety after a seven-hour operation.
Volunteer Program Leader Daniel Villefort has been with the program for as long as he can remember and also serves as the Director of Disaster Services on Arson Watch and the Director of Wildlife for Malibu.
“People really appreciate what you’re doing,” Villefort said. “If you think you can donate your time for a good cause, give us a call.”
As the summer months and busy season approach, volunteers play a pivotal role in helping Sheriffs keep the community safe.
“To be a presence in the community … it gives a lot of satisfaction to help out,” Targon said.