Dedicated volunteers keep Malibu safe as force multipliers for Sheriff’s Department

By Judy Abel · Fri Aug 07 2026

Volunteers on Patrol seeks new recruits to strengthen community safety

Anyone who has ever attended the July 4th or Christmas parade, a local festival, the Chili Cook-Off, or driven by an emergency incident has likely seen the Volunteers on Patrol (VOP). In their distinctive uniforms directing traffic, assisting deputies, or helping residents, you may not realize that every member of the team is volunteering on our community’s behalf.

The program was formally adopted by the Malibu City Council in December 2010, giving the city its own dedicated team of trained volunteers working under the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 

Mark Russo joined the VOPs in 2012 not long after moving to Malibu and serving with Malibu Arson Watch. For years, he has led the team as the organization steadily grows, and all while Malibu continues to face challenges ranging from heavy tourist traffic to wildfires and major community events.

When he first joined, the team consisted of only about 10 members. Today, the program includes 22 active volunteers, four trainees, and two additional applicants. Despite that growth, Russo says more volunteers are needed to meet the demands of a city that hosts millions of visitors each year while also coping with increasingly frequent emergency incidents.

While the VOPs are assigned to Lost Hills Station, “We patrol Malibu," said team leader Russo. "Our primary focus is Malibu, but we're dispatchable units and will go wherever the station and the Sheriff's Department need us.”  

Each volunteer commits to at least 16 patrol hours every month and completes an extensive six-month training academy before patrolling independently. Most volunteers contribute well beyond the minimum requirement. During just the first six months of this year, the team logged approximately 3,200 patrol hours, the vast majority spent serving Malibu.

"It's a perishable skill," Russo said. "If you don't do it a lot, you're not going to be very good at it."

Those volunteers come from nearly every walk of life. The team includes college students, retirees, doctors, attorneys, film industry professionals, business owners, and retired law enforcement officers. Some members have even gone on to careers in law enforcement after discovering a passion for public safety.

The diversity of backgrounds has become one of the team's greatest strengths, allowing volunteers to bring different skills and perspectives to every patrol.

While the VOPs are highly visible at community gatherings, much of their work takes place behind the scenes. Volunteers routinely respond to traffic collisions, direct vehicles around emergency scenes, assist deputies with road closures, and provide traffic control during incidents so sheriff's personnel can focus on investigations and emergency response."Because we're such a highly trained unit we can manage the traffic during emergencies which frees deputies to answer other calls for service," Russo said.

That support has become especially valuable as law enforcement agencies nationwide continue to face staffing shortages. Russo describes the VOPs as a "force multiplier," allowing deputies to return to patrol more quickly while trained volunteers safely handle traffic management.

The team has also become an important resource during Malibu's largest emergencies. Volunteers have assisted duringnumerous fatal traffic collisions on Pacific Coast Highway and responded during major disasters including the Woolsey and Palisades fires. Several VOP members even completed wildland firefighter training so they could better assist during wildfire incidents.

The City of Malibu has also invested in improving the team's emergency capabilities. Following communications problems experienced during previous fires, all five VOP patrol vehicles are now equipped with Starlink satellite systems, allowing volunteers to maintain communications even when traditional cellular service is unavailable. "We can go anywhere in the city, in the county, in the hills, and we have full access," Russo said. "That has been a game changer for us."

For Russo, however, the heart of the program isn't the technology or the equipment — it's the opportunity to serve the Malibu community. "I've always been somebody who likes helping," he said. "If somebody's in need and I know I can help them out, I'll help. I feel like every day when I put on that uniform and I go out there, I make a difference. It's so important to keeping this community safe."

Now the VOPs hope more Malibu residents will consider joining their ranks. Russo encourages anyone interested to schedule a ride-along to experience firsthand what volunteers do before committing to the six-month academy.

"We're looking for people who are public-safety-minded," he said. "They see things going on and they feel like, 'How can I help? What can I do?'"

For a city that depends heavily on volunteers in times of celebration and crisis alike, the VOP program may just be your path for impactful community service. Check malibuvop.team for more information.