V.I.P.S.-Volunteers in Police Services of Glasgow
Beginning in July 2009, The Glasgow Police Department adopted the V.I.P.S. (Volunteers in Police Services) program for the City of Glasgow. It currently consists of seven members who are volunteering their time to help the department with routine (non-confrontational) assignments. These assignments include helping with school traffic, finger printing, high school ballgames, parking enforcement, and special events. The V.I.P.S. personnel assist with parades, health & fitness walks/runs, and community festivals that require extra Personnel for traffic and crowd control duties. V.I.P.S. personnel have received training through the police department in, but not limited to the following areas:
o Traffic control training- 10 plus hours - before being released to do school traffic.
o Fingerprint Training
o Extra Patrol – Must log several hours of patrol with the department.
o The making of Identification badges for department employees and other local agencies.
Two of the seven members are Auxiliary Police Officers. The two auxiliary officers while working are armed and have the same credentials as street patrol units of the police department. They must also attend the same 40 hour mandatory training every year just as street patrol units do.
Since the program began in July of 2009, V.I.P.S. has logged over 2,190 hours of time dedicated to the Glasgow Police Department.
515 = Fingerprint Cards Completed
445.5 hours = Patrol
59.25 hours = Ball Games
21.5 hours = Technical Duties
92 hours = Administration Duties
166 hours = Training Duties
887 hours = Patrol Duties
26.5 hours = Safety Check Points
Total- 2,302 hours from July 2009 thru October 2011
Origin of the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program
President George W. Bush created USA Freedom Corps (USAFC) to build on the countless acts of service, sacrifice, and generosity that followed September 11. When he announced USAFC in his 2002 State of the Union address, he called on all Americans to serve a cause greater than them.
Citizen Corps was created to help coordinate volunteer activities to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures to make their families, their homes, and their communities safer from threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds.
Citizen Corps partner programs build on the successful efforts in many communities around the country to prevent crime and respond to emergencies. Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) are one of five Citizen Corps partner programs. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) manages and implements the V.I.P.S. Program in partnership with, and on behalf of the White House Office of the USA Freedom Corps, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Office of Justice Programs, and U.S. Department of Justice.
V.I.P.S. Goals and Objectives
The V.I.P.S. Program provides support and resources for agencies interested in developing or enhancing a volunteer program and for citizens who wish to volunteer their time and skills with a community law enforcement agency. The program’s ultimate goal is to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers.
Through this program the V.I.P.S. staff strives to:
o Learn about promising practices being used in existing V.I.P.S. programs and share this information with law enforcement agencies that want to expand their program
o Increase the use of volunteers in existing programs
o Encourage citizens to learn about and become involved in volunteer programs in their communities
o Help agencies establish volunteer programs
Anyone interested in becoming a member of this program please contact the police department (270-651-5151) during regular office hours.