It Takes an Old Hand : Senior Volunteers Helping the Police in Several Cities

He doesn’t get to catch bank robbers, take part in car chases or carry a gun, but for the last two years, 70-year-old Warren Balfour has donned a police uniform and diligently patrolled the streets of Fountain Valley.

Instead of looking for hardened criminals, Balfour and frequent crime-busting partner Beverly Burnett, 58, concentrate on considerably less hazardous duties than their sworn colleagues.

As participants in the Fountain Valley Police Department’s Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, the two are part of a countywide trend that sees more than a dozen police forces turning to senior volunteers to free officers for the more nitty-gritty work of law enforcement.

“With all the cutbacks, there are many public agencies utilizing new ways to use volunteer talent,” said Laurie Smith, director of volunteer programs for the county. “It’s an ideal situation as long as the talent is available and they aren’t taking away paid positions.”

In Fountain Valley, where the program is 2 years old, Burnett and Balfour are among more than a dozen senior citizens who devote at least six hours a week to duties such as ticketing cars parked in handicapped spaces or in fire lanes, reporting graffiti, tearing down illegally hung signs and checking on residential homes while the owners are on vacation.

“I enjoy it,” said Balfour, a retired architect. “I was looking for a public service job where I could be of use to the community. I sometimes thought about becoming a police officer when I was younger, so in a way, it’s happened.”

Police Department officials estimate that the work of the volunteers saves them about $65,000 a year in hourly wages and also generates some much-welcomed additional parking citation revenue.

In addition to Fountain Valley, senior police volunteer programs are in place in Costa Mesa, Cypress, Dana Point, Irvine, Mission Viejo, San Clemente and Tustin and are being developed in Anaheim, La Palma, Newport Beach, Placentia and Seal Beach.

Smith said that having older residents involved with the cities’ police work is a “win-win” situation.

“Senior citizens are perfect public relations for the police departments,” Smith said. “They’re an extension of the community, and you can’t buy that kind of contact. They act as ambassadors for the police.”

All cities provide their volunteers with equipment, supervision, vehicles and extensive training in how to deal with emergencies. Generally, the volunteers are assigned specific work hours.

“They have radios and they can call things in,” San Clemente Police Capt. Alicia Powers said. “But we stress in all of their training and meetings that we do not want them to get involved in any type of enforcement activity. They are not trained officers, they are civilian volunteers.”

Burnett said that when she and Balfour are out on patrol, they are generally well-received by the community.

“We’re extra eyes and ears for the regular police officers,” Burnett said. “I think we probably remind a lot of people of their grandparents.”

San Clemente volunteer Bill Walsh, 68, said response has been equally positive in his city.

“We have a good rapport with the citizens,” said Walsh. “We don’t have 100 pounds of ammunition and we’re older people so people feel they can come up to us and discuss a problem they might have.”

San Clemente’s program, which started in 1984, is the oldest in the county. It has 25 active volunteers who each work at least six hours a week. They spend their time writing out parking tickets, checking on elderly shut-ins, doing vacation housing checks and marking abandoned vehicles.

“Their work ethic is tremendous,” said Powers. “They are so diligent about any task that is given to them. If anything, they have to be reined in.”

In San Clemente and Fountain Valley, which have the largest programs, volunteers always work in pairs when patrolling the streets. They drive cars that are clearly marked “Senior Volunteer” so they will not be confused with regular patrol vehicles.

The cars are equipped with a radio, first-aid kit and other items such as traffic flares and cones.

Irvine’s senior volunteers have yet to hit the streets, though they are contributing inside headquarters. Through a program that started this fall, volunteers there have been helping behind the front desk, doing data entry and file upkeep for the crime analysis unit and the investigative division, as well as helping with the maintenance of all police equipment.

“We are still in the embryonic stage,” said Andy Hedden, a senior safety public assistant. “There’s talk of having the volunteers do some parking enforcement and house checks, but we have no definite plans for that at this time.”

Unlike other cities, Irvine does not have an age minimum for volunteers, although most of the eight participants are retired.

“I enjoy it and it really keeps me on my toes,” said volunteer Anita Mitchell, 55. “I have a much broader viewpoint of life than I did before. All types of people come in and the different things are always happening. It’s like a whole new world.”

Mitchell, who has worked as a secretary for 20 years, said all of her clerical experience didn’t prepare her for the sometimes hectic pace of life at the station.

“Today, there were seven telephones ringing at once and it was sheer panic,” she said, laughing.

Like Mitchell, many of the volunteers say their police work has added a new dimension to their lives and given them a renewed sense of purpose.

“When you work a full day, you feel like you’ve really accomplished something,” Burnett said. “It’s nice to actively be out there and know that you’re making a difference.”

Walsh, a retired school principal, said: “It’s a good outlet for me. After I retired, I didn’t want to just sit around and read the paper or watch television all day. I wanted to get involved.”

Smith said it is encouraging to see so many cities utilizing some of their older citizens in such a constructive way.

“They have one-third of their lifetime in retirement,” Smith said. “That’s a lot of productive talent that goes to waste. We just can’t afford to not use such a valuable resource.”