Volunteers
in Police Service was conceived in January 1992. The
concept of the program was for citizen volunteers
to assist the Police Department, and the residents
of Stockton, by performing duties provided at
that time by salaried personnel, and to provide
additional services desired by residents that
the Department was  unable to render.
The first class of
15 VIPS members graduated from the VIPS Training
Academy on October 1, 1992. Since that time, a total of more than 332,745 hours have been contributed by the VIPS since the program's inception.
The goals and objectives of the VIPS
are to provide the Stockton Police Department with
a team of responsible, dedicated volunteers committed
to assist the Department with "extra eyes and
ears" that are conducive to fighting crime,
perform all duties in a friendly and caring manner,
and display a caring and helpful attitude toward
the residents and visitors of Stockton.
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To reach
our goals, members will perform a wide array of
duties, including the following:
- Assist with assorted indoor/outdoor special
events
- Fingerprint children during school visits
when requested
- Provide deterrent patrol
- Locate and mark abandoned automobiles, and tow when appropriate.
- Conduct vacation house checks
- Issue disabled parking and illegal parking
notices, and for out-of-registration and no license plates.
- Staff lobby information desks at Main Police
Facility and Investigations Division
- Perform pickup/delivery services for City
staff
- Assist Fleet Maintenance
- Provide clerical duties throughout the Police
Department
- Assist at Weston Ranch Substation.
- Issue radios, vehicle keys, etc., to Patrol Officers start their shift.
In addition to the above
duties, VIPS attend an academy, which is approximately
24 hours. The academy consists of general traffic instruction, the roles
of different divisions within the Police Department, CERT training,
and training regarding VIPS' assignments and
duties. They also aid the Police
Department's Neighborhood Services Section with
graffiti and code violations and by assisting
with preplanned neighborhood sweeps.
The VIPS do not limit their assistance to just
City Departments. They represent the City
and Stockton Police Department at numerous events,
such as the Asparagus Festival, National Night
Out, Cinco de Mayo, All American Birthday Party,
Red Ribbon Week, and event request by citizens, organizations, and clubs.
The minimum requirements for acceptance into
the VIPS program include a combination of education
and life experiences necessary to enable one
to make reasonable decisions, and candidates
must be at least 40 years of age or older. All
new VIPS are thoroughly trained prior to assuming
their duties.
Anyone interested in becoming a Volunteers
in Police Service (VIPS) member for the Stockton
Police Department should contact the VIPS Office
at (209) 937-8477 or e-mail to police@ci.stockton.ca.us
Page last updated: January 22, 2009 |
Stockton,
CA 
Code Enforcement