Applications Open for Citizen Volunteer Academy

REDLANDS>> Applications are now being accepted for the next Redlands Police Department Citizen Volunteer Academy which will be held March 2 through April 20, 2017. Graduation is scheduled for April 26, 2017. The eight-week Citizen Volunteer Academy provides volunteers training in citation writing, radio procedure, crime scene management, report writing, traffic control, patrol vehicle driving, Emergency Operations Center operations and other areas. Participants receive an additional 32 hours of training in the field by experienced volunteer Field Training Officers before they are ready for the full range of CVP or CVPR duties. Interviews for the Academy are currently being held. Anyone interested may visit the RPD volunteer page at http://cityofredlands.org/police/volunteers for information and an application. The deadline for applying for the next Academy is November 30, 2016, in order to allow time for background and reference checks to be completed before the start date of the Academy. For more information on volunteering with the Redlands Police Department or to turn in applications, contact Sgt Ken Wright by email at cvsupervisor@redlandspolice.org or by phone at (909) 335-4730. The Citizen Volunteer Patrol was founded as a highly visible, uniformed, unarmed, "eyes and ears" volunteer patrol force comprised largely of retired community members seeking an opportunity to assist their local police department in making the streets of the community a safer place. The first CVP Academy Class graduated in May 1991. Since 1991 the CVP unit has expanded its responsibilities to include participation in all non-hazardous functions conducted by the department. The unit consists of more than 75 members. Membership is also open to those community members who have special physical needs which might preclude field duties. In January 2008, the Redlands Police Department added a new component to the Citizen Volunteer Patrol – the Citizen Volunteer Park Rangers. CVPRs assist the Police Department in making City parks and orange groves, the Santa Ana River Wash and San Timoteo Canyon safer places for the community’s use. CVPRs patrol on horseback, ATVs, Segways, mountain bikes and on foot. CVPRs are on the lookout for illegal activities in the patrol areas, including the use of alcohol, smoking in the parks, after-hours activities in the parks, significant trash accumulations and signs of suspicious activities.