Search Virginia.gov:

• VDEM Home
• About VDEM
• Threats & Emergencies
• Prepare & Prevent
• Recovery Center
• Newsroom & Archives
• Training Calendar
• VA Business Toolkit
• Citizen Corps
• Emergency Management Community Home
• Programs & Services
• Grant Information
• Library
• Regions & Localities

Virginia Citizen Corps Home • CERT • Virginia Citizen Corps Councils • Fire Corps • Medical Reserve Corps • Neighborhood Watch • Volunteers in Police Service • News • Public Safety Volunteers • Resources for Volunteers

Public Safety Volunteers

Law Enforcement – Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)

Visit the national program Web site at www.policevolunteers.org. Go to What's New for their current newsletter and the latest information.

Law enforcement volunteers are a valuable asset to the police departments they assist. Although volunteers do not work alongside or substitute for officers or salaried employees, they free up critical staff time by performing support functions. Duties typically include:

• community outreach
• telephone work
• research
• policy review
• technology / IS support
• administrative tasks and other appropriate non-enforcement activities

Many law enforcement agencies administer special community volunteer programs such as Police Explorers, the Auxiliary Police Program, the Citizens' Police Academy and the Ride-Along Program. These opportunities often require a background investigation (the extent of which varies with the type of volunteer work involved).

To get started with your volunteer efforts for law enforcement contact an office near you.

See all Virginia volunteer police programs.