Volunteer program for police falters

Stephen Curran

Friday, Sept. 13, 2002 | 2:43 a.m.

For more information on the Volunteers in Policing program and to download an application, visit the Nevada Department of Public Safety website (www.nvrepository.state.nv.us).

WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 14, 2002

A volunteer program that has been "very successful" in the Reno and Carson City area has yet to take hold in Southern Nevada, representatives of the Nevada Department of Public Safety said.

The department's Volunteers in Policing program was launched in May and has attracted about 13 volunteers in the northern part of the state, department spokeswoman Kimberly Evans said, but officials in Southern Nevada are having trouble recruiting volunteers.

Eligible volunteers must pass an extensive background check, then are assigned to a variety of duties, ranging from clerical tasks to fingerprinting, Evans said.

The lack of eligible volunteers in Southern Nevada stems from a lack of a coordinator to conduct the intense screening necessary, she said.

"It's very labor-intensive," Evans said. "You can't just put a volunteer in there (without any screening)."

Senior citizens make up the bulk of the volunteers, she said, most likely because they have the most free time. However, the program is open to anyone over 21.

While she admits the program hasn't caught on throughout the state, Evans is confident the program will continue to grow and that Las Vegas should have volunteers of its own within the next three months.

The Carson City area, which has a regional coordinator, has seen encouraging growth, she said.

Nationwide budget cuts have forced local and state agencies to rely more heavily on their volunteer workforce, she said. In Nevada, numerous local agencies as well as the Nevada Highway Patrol have had similar programs for years.

"It's nothing new," Evans said. "This is not really an innovative idea."