WE WANT YOU – Become a Volunteer
The Volunteer program consists of members from the community who have demonstrated a willingness to maintain a high quality of life in the area they live in. These individuals have assumed responsibilities that require them to achieve a higher level of public trust. Volunteers have an opportunity to learn about law enforcement, and with their unselfish acts of community service, help improve law enforcement services.
Volunteer Opportunities
The County of Los Angeles Volunteer program offers volunteers an opportunity to be involved with nearly every aspect of a station. Volunteers may choose to be a part of such traditional functions as:
Clergy Program – Clergy members in the community who ride with the deputies and assist in dealing with human crisis.
Front Desk – Volunteers work the station front counter in a Volunteer Uniform to greet the public and provide station services.
Clerical – Volunteers work in the station secretariat and assist with filing of reports and work under the direction of the secretaries.
Volunteers On Patrol – What is the V.O.P. Program? This program performs primarily nonhazardous duties, which are currently performed by patrol deputies. The program will therefore, allow patrol deputies to perform the more hazardous duties they have been trained to do. This helps our Department to better achieve its goal of serving the community. Volunteers work in volunteer vehicles in a volunteer uniform assisting in the field as additional eyes and ears in the community.
Some of the tasks V.O.P. members complete are:
- Patrolling the community for criminal activity or safety hazards
- Residential vacation checks
- Park and school safety checks
- Graffiti watch
- Non-Hazardous directed patrol assignments
- Requests from City/County services
- Search for missing children
- Exterior shopping mall checks
- Fire watch
- Traffic control
- Foot/Vehicle patrol
Transit watch Experience Required:
VOP training is required and will be provided before field assignment. This includes volunteers in vehicles and foot patrols. To maintain the VOP’s skill and expertise, there is a minimum of 16 hours per month of deployment time is required. This requirement is for the safety of the volunteer and others around him or her and for liability issues for the Department and County.
Volunteers are not Deputy Sheriffs!
They do not place themselves in a position of danger. As a V.O.P. member, you will not carry any weapon and you are not expected to enter into a physical altercation with anyone. As a V.O.P. member, you will always work with at least one partner. This is for their safety as well as the safety and responsibility of the Department.
CERT Certified Volunteers – Volunteers who elect to respond to disaster areas and provide aid as directed by the Sheriff’s Department.
How to apply – Contact Lakewood Sheriff’s Station at 562-623-3500. After you complete and sign the application, return it to Lakewood Sheriff’s Station (5130 Clark Ave. Lakewood, CA 90712).
