For Immediate Release
July 28, 2015
Contact: Matt Myerhoff, Media Information Officer
E-Mail: MMyerhoff@malibucity.org [mailto:MMyerhoff@malibucity.org]
Phone: 310.456.2489 ext. 283
LINK TO PRESS PHOTO BELOW
City of Malibu & Sheriff’s Station Add New Vehicle for Volunteers on Patrol & Seek New Recruits to Join
(Malibu, CA) – The City of Malibu has purchased a new patrol vehicle for the Volunteers on Patrol (VOP) program that the City operates in partnership with the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, and is seeking new recruits to join the VOP team.
“I applaud the volunteers of the VOP program who dedicate their time to helping make Malibu a safer community, and I encourage any Malibu resident interesting in public service to become a VOP team member,” said Mayor John Sibert. “The new vehicle is a great investment and will increase the service that VOPs provide to Malibu.”
The City Council approved funding and purchased the new vehicle, a 2015 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor, in May. The VOP already had a Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
The Malibu VOP program was established by the City Council in 2010. The VOP program was created by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in various communities it serves to get more residents involved in contributing to public safety, help improve community relations, and to serve as additional “eyes and ears” for the Sheriffs. The 10 current VOP members are not law enforcement officers but unarmed civilian volunteers who patrol in official, marked vehicles and stay in constant communication with the Sheriff’s Deputies.
VOP members are trained by the Sheriff’s Department to assist in DUI checkpoints, traffic control, first aid/CPR, vacation and business checks, residential patrols, and patrolling and reporting on wildfires. They routinely report traffic hazards on PCH and City roads, including downed power lines, roadway obstructions and dangerous drivers.
The VOP team also helps enforce the City's parking regulations. Between January 2014 and March 2015, the VOP team issued 1,524 parking citations, and contributed more than 5,000 hours of volunteer service valued at more than $250,000.
To qualify, applicants must be over 18 years old, be a resident of the City of Malibu, complete an oral interview, submit to a background check, commit to ongoing training, and meet minimum driving standards.
For more information, contact Sheriff's Deputy Mike Woodar at 818-878-5506, MRWoodar@lasd.org [mailto:MRWoodar@lasd.org] , or visit www.MalibuCity.org/VOP [http://www.malibucity.org/VOP] .
PHOTOS:
VOP Volunteers Guy Blake and Mark Stevenson
http://tiny.cc/qpm50x [http://tiny.cc/qpm50x]
New VOP vehicle
http://tiny.cc/grm50x [http://tiny.cc/grm50x]
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