Tehama - The Magazine

4 TEHAMA - THE MAGAZINE, May 2016 Volunteers in Tehama County Law Enforcement By Julie Zeeb Whether you're a young person looking into a career in law enforcement, a retiree looking for a way to give back or somewhere in between, Tehama County has a job for you. That job is sometimes thankless, but always rewarding, according to the volunteers who invest countless hours in the community serving with local law enforcement. VIPS: Volunteers In Police Service (VIPS) is a relatively new group, under the command of Red Bluff Police Sergeant Kevin Busekist. It began in 2012 with the first group of graduating in February 2013 from a 10-week academy. Bev Morris, one of the eight in that group, works as a part-time clerk at the office. Her volunteer job includes scanning documents and handling paper work at the window as well as transporting documents and other items to the district attorney's office. Other duties VIPS members undertake include traffic control at the scene of a collision or at an event such as the Monster Truck parade. They also do patrol checks and issue parking tickets. "It's all worthwhile," Morris said. "What we do helps relieve the officers and frees them up. It also saves the department on overtime." For Morris, it is something to do as a retired person that allows her to contribute to society. "There's no absence of things to do and it's nice to do something that feels worthwhile," Morris said. It's also something that can lead to employment such as it did for Bill Conrad, another member of the first VIPS class, who was recently hired as a Community Service Officer. "A good first step for those interested in a career with law enforcement would be to go on a ride along with an officer, and then join the VIPs program if they are still interested," said Morris. The next academy, generally a four-hour class on Saturdays, is planned to begin either in August or September. Applicants must be 18-years-old. In the academy, VIPS learn about haz-mat incidents, CPR/ first aid, defensive driving, traffic control, and patrol procedures. STARS: The Sheriff's Team of Active Retired Seniors has been around much longer than VIPS, having celebrated its 20th anniversary in January. Elizabeth Watson, who has more than 10,000 hours of community service in with the organization, is one of three original members from the first class, which boasted 35-40 members. "When it organized in 1996, I heard about it by word of mouth and was looking for something to volunteer for," Watson said. "As a senior, it was something I'd never done, so I decided to try it." The group mainly patrols houses for people who are on vacation, looking for things out of place such as a broken window. They also assist with events such as Special Olympics where they help with parking and traffic flow. "We're the eyes and ears of Tehama County," Watson said. "We check property and do extra patrols, but never get involved directly. If we see something, we call the Sheriff's Department." Stepping Up: T O P R O T E C T A N D S E R V E Sheriff's Deputy Shelley McCullough and Sgt. Rod Daugherty with Elizabeth Watson, one of the original STARS members. She has contributed more than 10,000 hours of volunteer service to STARS. 4 TEHAMA - THE MAGAZINE, May 2016 Volunteers in Tehama County Law Enforcement By Julie Zeeb Whether you're a young person looking into a career in law enforcement, a retiree looking for a way to give back or somewhere in between, Tehama County has a job for you. That job is sometimes thankless, but always rewarding, according to the volunteers who invest countless hours in the community serving with local law enforcement. VIPS: Volunteers In Police Service (VIPS) is a relatively new group, under the command of Red Bluff Police Sergeant Kevin Busekist. It began in 2012 with the first group of graduating in February 2013 from a 10-week academy. Bev Morris, one of the eight in that group, works as a part-time clerk at the office. Her volunteer job includes scanning documents and handling paper work at the window as well as transporting documents and other items to the district attorney's office. Other duties VIPS members undertake include traffic control at the scene of a collision or at an event such as the Monster Truck parade. They also do patrol checks and issue parking tickets. "It's all worthwhile," Morris said. "What we do helps relieve the officers and frees them up. It also saves the department on overtime." For Morris, it is something to do as a retired person that allows her to contribute to society. "There's no absence of things to do and it's nice to do something that feels worthwhile," Morris said. It's also something that can lead to employment such as it did for Bill Conrad, another member of the first VIPS class, who was recently hired as a Community Service Officer. "A good first step for those interested in a career with law enforcement would be to go on a ride along with an officer, and then join the VIPs program if they are still interested," said Morris. The next academy, generally a four-hour class on Saturdays, is planned to begin either in August or September. Applicants must be 18-years-old. In the academy, VIPS learn about haz-mat incidents, CPR/ first aid, defensive driving, traffic control, and patrol procedures. STARS: The Sheriff's Team of Active Retired Seniors has been around much longer than VIPS, having celebrated its 20th anniversary in January. Elizabeth Watson, who has more than 10,000 hours of community service in with the organization, is one of three original members from the first class, which boasted 35-40 members. "When it organized in 1996, I heard about it by word of mouth and was looking for something to volunteer for," Watson said. "As a senior, it was something I'd never done, so I decided to try it." The group mainly patrols houses for people who are on vacation, looking for things out of place such as a broken window. They also assist with events such as Special Olympics where they help with parking and traffic flow. "We're the eyes and ears of Tehama County," Watson said. "We check property and do extra patrols, but never get involved directly. If we see something, we call the Sheriff's Department." Stepping Up: T O P R O T E C T A N D S E R V E Sheriff's Deputy Shelley McCullough and Sgt. Rod Daugherty with Elizabeth Watson, one of the original STARS members. She has contributed more than 10,000 hours of volunteer service to STARS.

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