Senior Volunteers Sought to Assist Police Programs

Senior citizens are needed to spend six hours a week to help city police run a variety of community programs.

City officials say they prefer applicants for the Volunteer Interest Program for Seniors, or VIPS, to be at least 50 years old and retired.

Their assignments will include many tasks that the city does not have the staff to cover. They include:

* Registration of bicycles as part of the city schools program.

* Vacation home checks.

* Child fingerprinting.

* Clerical support of city police services.

* Code enforcement.

* Foot and bike patrol of the downtown area and shopping centers.

* Traffic control.

* Participation in the city’s elderly support program, which regularly checks up on seniors who live alone.

Program participants must have a high school education or its equivalent in life experience. The city will hold classes for all prospective members.

Volunteers will be covered under state workers’ compensation and liability insurance provided by the city.

The city also purchases all equipment and uniforms.

Because confidential information is sometimes shared in some of the police programs, a background check will be conducted on all volunteers.

Applications for VIPS are available at City Hall, 33282 Street of the Golden Lantern. There is no deadline for joining, although interviews and training are scheduled for the first week in September.

For more information, call Yomar Cleary at (714) 248-3517.