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Sheriff's Office Wants More Eyes, Ears In Communities

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 6, 2008

Updated: 08/11/2008 08:44 pm

TAMPA - When Sheriff David Gee took office, he promised that not only were he and his deputies committed to protecting the residents of Hillsborough County, but they were also adopting a philosophy of serving the needs of its residents.

Budget cuts and economic changes have placed roadblocks in the sheriff's way. Increasing population within the county, coupled with limited manpower, has caused Gee to get creative in keeping his promises.

Because deputies cannot realistically be everywhere at once, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has begun asking citizens to take a more active role in helping the office provide a better quality of life in neighborhoods.

"We created the Volunteer Citizen Patrol Program as an interactive partnership with the residents," explained Gee. "Our two pilot programs we launched in March 2007 in Apollo Beach and Westchase proved to be a success within a few months."

The patrol is a multifaceted program. One aspect focuses on reducing the number of property crimes in an area, and the other emphasizes the importance of meeting new people and taking pride in one's community.

"We believe the program's presence in neighborhoods, as they patrol in the unique, specially marked VCPP vehicle, is a deterrent," Gee said. "We have had citizen patrol volunteers spot burglars, drunk drivers and fugitives, as well as assist with medical emergencies at traffic crashes."

Al and Rita Friedman have volunteered with the sheriff's office in various capacities for 15 years and are now participating in the patrol program in the northwest area of the county.

"The deputies have so much to do and so little time to do it," said Rita Friedman. "The VCPP frees them to go on serious calls."

"We're well-received by the working deputies," said Al Friedman. "By and large, we've been well-received by the community."

All volunteers are put through a 40-hour training course covering radio dispatch procedures, traffic direction, first aid and crossing guard safety.

"We learned so much in training, from advanced driving instructions to CPR and report writing," said Rita Friedman.

Gee hopes the program will continue to grow to eventually span the entire county. Programs were recently added to the Bloomingdale and Town 'N Country areas.

"Obviously, we realize that every neighborhood cannot sustain a cadre of volunteers, but we want there to be enough of our specially trained citizens out there to let the criminal element know our neighborhoods are no place for them," Gee said.

The sheriff's office takes pride in its promise to serve and protect and asks that citizens work with the office to make Hillsborough the safest county it can be. Gee describes the job of a volunteer patrol member as "exciting, challenging and fulfilling."

"We need your help," said Al Friedman. "Please come and see how it works. Only you can help you. By being a volunteer, you are helping yourself."

Anyone interested in volunteering with the program can contact Deputy Lorraine Jordan at (813) 247-8115 or by e-mail at ljordan@hcso. tampa.fl.us.

Charity Arthur is a patrol deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in the northwest area of the county. If you have questions for her or suggestions for topics for her crime-prevention column, she can be reached at (813) 247-0330 or carthur@hc

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