Volunteers aid sheriff's office

They control the crowds during large events. They keep their eyes open watching for crime. They aren’t sheriff’s deputies or reserve officers; they are the Volunteers in Police Service, or VIPS.

In Wahkiakum County, Chief Civil Deputy/ 911 Coordinator Joannie Bjorge leads the group of six men and women ranging in age from 20 to 70 years.

VIPS are different than officers, she said. They don’t attend a law enforcement academy, they are non-confrontational and don’t carry weapons. Their work is more behind the scenes, she said. “As confrontational as they get is they do parking enforcement on Main Street.”

To be a VIP, interested persons need to go through an application process. They will undergo a criminal background check, and an interview. It doesn’t take a lot of training, but it is preferred they attend the annual Citizen’s Academy, which is in danger of being cut next session because of budget shortfalls.

Other responsibilities of VIPS include neighborhood watch, crime prevention and emergency management. In case of emergency, people will need to know where to go, so they will do neighborhood mapping.

In case of large incidents, VIPS will run a post to feed emergency responders, or they will run errands. They will even do some administrative work. “They have a lot of roles in other places,” she said. “They are real big in all the public events.”

Some VIPS do more along the lines of security detail, like watching vulnerable areas like the water system. That came about after 9/11 when the president urged citizens to be more active in neighborhood watches and emergency volunteering, Bjorge explained.

The purpose of the VIPS is to be an extra set of eyes and ears in the community. Officers can’t be everywhere at once, so having people who believe in crime prevention is vital.

Wahkiakum County VIPS have been around for about three years. After receiving a state block grant that allowed for extra equipment like uniforms, Bjorge recruited people from the Citizen’s Academy and went from there.

“All grants have requirements,” Bjorge said. “This is for crime prevention and that kind of stuff.”

Because of the budget cuts, the program is in a hard spot, Bjorge said. It doesn’t need to be run by the sheriff’s office. It can be run by volunteers. Bjorge is hoping someone will take the wheel and she can step back and be more of a program liaison.

“Having a hands on, all the time leader role is probably almost a thing of the past; at least for a while,” Bjorge said. The program is more of a public service thing. Because of the cuts; she said she needs to focus on her other duties.

“As long as we have volunteers who want to stay interested and stay active doing it that is what will keep it going.”

Without them, events like the National Night Out couldn’t be done. “They are my support,” she said. “I can’t do all that by myself.”