NCJ Number
101297
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1986) Pages: 49-61
Date Published
1986
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Data from 18 police departments in Los Angeles County, Calif., produced an analysis of both the nature and extent of the use of volunteers in police work and of the ways in which volunteers are brought into police agencies.
Abstract
The departments represented all income groups and city sizes. The study excluded the Los Angeles Police Department because of its size, however. Interviews with police chiefs or their representatives revealed that all departments had at least one type of volunteer activity. The departments identified 19 distinct kinds of volunteer activities. The four most common types of activities were reserve officers, neighborhood watch, explorer scouts, and clerical help. The departments used a variety of methods for recruiting, selecting, training, providing incentives, and assessing performance. Volunteers were usually white males who were under age 50 and were employed full time. Two-thirds of the 3,119 volunteers were neighborhood watch block captains. The volunteers provided thousands of hours of work at relatively low administrative costs. The relative costs and benefits varied according to the type of activity, with reserve officers producing the greatest benefits and also incurring large costs. Police departments should systematically analyze their needs and implement volunteer programs. Using a volunteer coordinator, preferably a sworn officer helped by a citizen volunteer, increases the possibility of program success. Tables, 31 references.