| City of Brandenburg holds high hopes for Citizens on Patrol By KAREN KENNEDY At the May 19 Chamber of Commerce meeting and luncheon, Brandenburg Chief of Police Jason Amburgey gave a presentation on a new, crime-fighting program the City plans to initiate beginning in summer 2005. The program, called Citizens on Patrol, consists of volunteers from Brandenburg and Meade County who donate their time to patrol the City of Brandenburg. The objective of the program is to enhance and support the police department by freeing up officers for higher priority duties. “These volunteers will be the eyes and ears on our streets,” said Chief Amburgey. “They’ll observe and report crime and any suspicious activity they encounter while on duty.” Citizens on Patrol volunteers will assist with a variety of situations where a sworn officer is not required. For example, at present, police officers are stationed at Meade County High School at the end of the school day for the purpose of assisting with traffic flow. A volunteer could assume this duty, thus freeing up officers to patrol the city and for other duties that only a bona fide police officer can perform. Other examples of situations during which Citizens on Patrol would be extremely helpful are with funeral processions, school crossings, keeping the radar trailer operational and equipped with batteries, checking on the homes of those on vacation, after-hours business checks, reporting accidents and traffic or parking violations, traffic surveys, school programs, prom and graduation nights, parades, Halloween night, and other projects and services. “If we have volunteers performing these types of duties,” said Amburgey, “it will enable our police officers to patrol the streets more hours of the day. A police car on patrol is the biggest deterrent against crime. The use of volunteers will also cut down on the overtime of our police officers, half of which has always been for special events. It will also allow us to keep the current overlap of officers during the night shifts when they are needed on the streets the most.” In 2004, said Amburgey, the Meade County Sheriff’s department reported approximately 390 cases. With the county population at about 25,000 people, that’s one case for every 64 people. However, the City of Brandenburg, with a population of about 2,000 people, had 180 cases in 2004, which translates into one case every 11 people. In the City of Brandenburg in 2003, 100 accidents were reported. With 200 accidents on record for 2004, that number doubled. “Given the numbers,” said Amburgey, “you can see that there’s a need for more people on patrol in Brandenburg.” Amburgey is quick to point out volunteers will not be interacting with or confronting citizens in the way that a police officer would. Program guidelines prohibit volunteers from actions that would place them in confrontational situations. “They won’t be taking the law into their own hands,” stressed Amburgey. “Citizens on Patrol vehicles will be equipped with radios and cell phones and will call in incidents needing police attention. Program volunteer requirements include the following:18 years of age or older, resident of Brandenburg or Meade County, good moral character, good driving record, no felony record, submit to a background check, and a valid Kentucky drivers’ license if driving is part of the duty. “We’ll interview candidates the same way we do our officers except there will be no polygraph or physical performed,” noted Amburgey. “These people will be representing our police department, so I plan to be as stringent about their selections as when I hire an officer.” All volunteers will complete a training program and strictly adhere to the guidelines of a policies and procedures manual specifically designed for Citizens on Patrol. Volunteers will work in pairs, which Amburgey says will be done for two reasons. First, two people working together serves as a “checks and balances” system – meaning two heads thinking and two sets of eyes looking are better than one. The second reason for working in pairs is safety. All volunteers will wear uniforms, traffic vests, and wear ID badges. Uniforms consist of khaki pants and white shirts, with tan caps for the men, so there will be no mistaking a volunteer for a police officer. “While these people won’t be serving as ‘police officers,’ they’ll be fulfilling an important role in our community. It gives them an opportunity to feel pride and ownership of the place in which they live.” Chief Amburgey has been in touch with our Kentucky police departments who have instituted similar programs and met with good results. “Communicating with other departments with these same programs is beneficial,” noted Amburgey. “It’s a way to share ideas that work and don’t work and keep refining and improving our programs.” Of course, in order to have such a program in the City of Brandenburg, funds will be needed. The county recently donated a Crown Victoria to the City, so there is a vehicle in place. However, there will be associated costs such as gasoline and vehicle maintenance, insurance, volunteer uniform costs, and other miscellaneous expenses. The cost won’t be astronomical, but money is still necessary to successfully carry out the program. Amburgey hopes both businesses and individuals will see the merit of such a program as beneficial to us all and will assist with its financial support. Amburgey is also exploring the possibility of applying for grants. “One of the reasons for Citizens on Patrol,” said Amburgey, “is that as Chief of Police of Brandenburg, I’m trying to be proactive instead of reactive. I think it’s better to anticipate problems and nip them in the bud before they have a chance to occur. This keeps the crime level down makes our city a better place to live, work, learn, shop, and raise our children and grandchildren.” To become a program sponsor or volunteer, contact Chief of Police Jason
Amburgey at 422-4981 or at amburgey@brandenburgpolice.com. · Patrol Business sponsors as of May 19: |