FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Sergeant Troy Fergueson
Uniform Operations Bureau
727-847-5878 x 7629;
727-919 - 1185;
Tfergueson@pascosheriff.org            www.pascosheriff.com

(New Port Richey, Florida) (January 30, 2008) – The success of Sheriff White’s Volunteers in Policing Services (VIPS) Program has prompted new growth and expanded services offered by the Citizen Service Unit (CSU).  Sheriff Bob White will host a new Citizen Service Unit Academy Class beginning on March 4, 2008 for interested citizens who have a calling to serve their community!  APPLY TODAY TO JOIN THE VIP FAMILY!  Contact Sergeant Troy Fergueson for details.

The very first Citizen Service Unit patrol team went into service in November 2004 following graduation from field training. Since then the Citizen Service Unit, comprised of community volunteers, have responded to over 14,398 Citizen Generated Calls for Service, and have self-initiated 16,725 proactive preventative actions throughout the communities of Pasco County. To date, Volunteers have contributed over 34,000 hours of service to their communities.  This reflects a cost-savings of more that $660,000 to the Pasco Sheriff's Office and the communities they serve in terms of in-kind contributions from CSU1. Some of their statistical data are highlighted below:

1 http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/volunteer_time.html The estimated dollar value [average] of volunteer time is $18.77 per hour for 2006. 

Why CSU?
The demands imposed on modern day law enforcement have never been greater than they are now in the post 9-11 era.  The CSU program is designed to augment the patrol function in an effort to afford our sworn personnel more time for proactive law enforcement, community policing, and follow-up investigations.   CSU volunteers are specially trained by the sheriff’s office to respond to many non-emergency and routine calls for service that do not require law enforcement or regulatory authority.  The Pasco Sheriff's Office responded to 230,490 Citizen Generated Calls for Service in 2007, a substantial increase on service calls since the year 2000 when the sheriff’s office received 158,855 calls.  We are continually faced with unprecedented and sophisticated challenges to include:  Population Growth, Cyber Crime, Identity Theft/Fraud, Natural Disasters, and the Threat of Terrorism. The Pasco Sheriff's Office, like most other law enforcement agencies, are forced to meet the change in the 21st century threat paradigm against a backdrop of very limited resources.

The new emphasis on making community members active participants in the process of crime control and prevention is the acknowledgment that law enforcement and the community must work together to meet today’s challenges.
 
DUI Checkpoints:  The Citizen Service Unit has recently began working as a force multiplier at Driving Under the Influence (DUI) checkpoint operations by covering traffic related posts and thereby freeing additional deputies to investigate more DUI cases.  CSU volunteers have lent critical support to special operations such as the Chasco Fiesta, Holiday Parades, and most recently in the field pursuant to hurricane response efforts. 

Traffic Crash Investigation:  A specially trained core group of CSU patrol volunteers have begun investigating and reporting on minor traffic crashes in Pasco County.  These members were trained in a state approved course offered by the Florida Highway Patrol. This partnership benefits the Pasco Sheriff's Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and most importantly the citizen by responding to and investigating the accident scene in a timely manner. 

Sheriff White’s Citizen Service Unit is a registered affiliate of the national Volunteers in Policing Services (VIPS) initiative (http://www.policevolunteers.org/).   The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) (http://www.theiacp.org/) manages and implements the VIPS Program in partnership with and on behalf of the White House Office of the USA Freedom Corps and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice.

Who are we looking for? 

Citizens who have the desire to become participants in their own security and make a marked difference in both public safety and the quality of life in their communities by becoming collaborative partners with the Pasco Sheriff's Office.        

How Can I Enlist, What are the Qualifications?

Candidates must pass a background check and successfully complete the basic training academy to qualify.  Candidates must be at least 18 years of age with a valid driver’s license to apply.  There are no age caps on applying; the average age of our VIPS volunteer is currently 63 years of age.  Interested citizens can pick up an application for the Citizen Service Unit at the Pasco Sheriff's Office Human Resources Office located at 8700 Citizen Drive in New Port Richey.  To receive an application by mail applicants may telephone Human Resources at 727-844-7791 or Toll Free 1-800-854-2862 x7791.

Ray Ziegler (Left) and Bob Maas
2006 Crime Symposium

Want to Learn More?
Interested citizens can learn more about volunteer opportunities at the Pasco Sheriff's Office by contacting Sergeant Troy Fergueson (VIPS Coordinator) at 727-815-7035 or by email at Tfergueson@pascosheriff.org.  You may also request our VIPS coordinator to visit your local community, church, business, or civic organization to discuss volunteer opportunities!