Volunteers in Police Service (VIP)
In January 2002, President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps to provide Americans with meaningful opportunities to serve their communities and the country. The Citizen Corps is part of the USA Freedom Corps, along with the Peace Corps, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and others.
The Citizen Corps consists of the Citizen Corps Councils, the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps, Neighborhood Watch, the Fire Corps, and the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS).
The Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program works to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers. VIPS serves as a gateway to resources and information for and about law enforcement volunteer programs. Funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, VIPS is managed and implemented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
The Chesterfield Police Department periodically recruits carefully selected adult volunteers to serve in the VIPS. The current force of 14 Volunteers in Police Service includes 4 women and 10 men. The volunteers have a myriad of background skills through their own business, law enforcement, and military experience.
Members of the Chesterfield Police Department's VIP program currently assist the Department through:
- Municipal Court Assistance
- Radar speed monitoring on city subdivision streets, especially at school zones (violators are mailed violation letters) providing a service to the community as well as providing important data for analysis by the Department's Traffic Enforcement Unit.
- Handicapped parking enforcement
- Park patrols at the City's athletic complex and the Monarch Levee (hiking/biking) trail
- Traffic control at special community events (i.e.: Concerts in the Park)
- Citizen & Child Fingerprinting
- National Night Out
- Bike safety helmet fitting and car seat installation
- Residential Vacation Inspection program
- Supporting the Department's D.A.R.E. and other community programs
For information on the Chesterfield VIP program contact Sergeant Powell at 636-537-3000.
