ANTELOPE VALLEY : Roving Patrols by Residents Inaugurated
On Monday, 26 Antelope Valley residents kicked off the initial patrols of a citizens Neighborhood Watch program that officials say is the first of its kind in the area.
Members of the Volunteers Organized to Improve the Community Environment team will travel in pairs in county-provided Ford Escorts emblazoned with the county logo and wear a volunteers uniform of a white shirt and blue slacks. Armed with a cellular telephone, the patrols will run two-hour shifts near schools, shopping malls and residential areas, reporting suspicious activity they might encounter.
The Sheriff’s Department-sponsored program provides the training, uniforms, equipment and cars for the volunteers. Each volunteer goes through a two-hour course detailing duties and limits of the program.
Volunteers must be at least 18 and have no criminal record or pending charges.
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