LAGUNA NIGUEL : Seniors Sought to Help Deputies

Taking a successful page from the crime-fighting books of nearby cities, Laguna Niguel is recruiting senior citizens to form a support team for officers.

The city’s police services unit has begun accepting applications from men and women ages 50 through 80 who are interested in volunteering for community patrol, parking enforcement, crime analysis, clerical work and other duties that free officers for street work, Sgt. Terry Boyd said.

Similar efforts have proved “extremely successful” in Dana Point and Mission Viejo, Boyd said. “It gets the seniors involved, and it helps us get all these things done that take up more hours than there are in the day,” he said.

Law enforcement in the 1 1/2-year-old city is handled by a contingent of Sheriff’s Department deputies with assistance from the local police services unit.

Applications will be accepted through Feb. 26, and oral interviews will be conducted next month, Boyd said. Requirements include a valid California driver’s license, no criminal record and a physical exam paid for by the city. All patrol members will be asked to commit to at least six hours per week.

Boyd said the patrol will be supplied with uniforms, an office with computers at the police services building and a marked city van for their outreach efforts. Activities will include residential and business security checks, vacation house checks, visits with fellow seniors concerned about safety, and handing out literature on neighborhood watch programs and crime prevention, Boyd said.

Boyd said duties will be flexible, depending on each volunteer’s capabilities. Interested residents may call (714) 362-4343 for more information.