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 The Mountain Home Citizens On Patrol Organization
is in the process of developing a website dedicated to the
volunteers who serve their communities as additional eyes and ears
for their local law enforcement agencies.
The purpose of this website will be to pass on
information and resources to organization across the state that
serve their communities as volunteers in that capacity.
As law enforcement agencies across the state of
Idaho continue to face shrinking budgets they look to the citizens
in their communities for assistance. One program that has
shown allot of success is a local Citizen's Patrol Program.
 In 1994 Chief Tom Berry was looking for ways to
help officers impact crime in Mountain Home and had heard of such
programs in other communities. Chief Berry had also applied
for COPS MORE Grants to assist in getting additional officers on the
street.
After Chief Berry was successful in hiring
additional officers with the grants he had applied for, he
instructed two of the officers that they would be responsible for
Community Policing initiatives in the community. These
initiatives would require partnerships with local citizens in an
effort to address and reduce the crime rate as well as the local
gang activities at the time.
 Chief Berry knew that by taking a proactive
approach that we may be able to stop crime before it occurred.
Several programs were put into play, Neighborhood Watch, Crime
Free Multi-Housing, Citizens On Patrol, Mountain Home Police Bike
Patrol and others. While each of these had there own
successes as they complimented each other, the Citizens On Patrol
Program seem to have more impact on the problems that we faced at
that time. The perception was, there were more officers on the
street and the bonus to that was, these volunteers were able to
report criminal activities to the officers.
The Mountain Home Citizens On Patrol started with
just four members in 1994 and in time grew to as many as forty.
While membership numbers may fluctuate, the program is still able to
get patrols out to assist as additional eyes and ears for the
police. Currently, The Mountain Home Citizens On Patrol has
five marked cars equipped with two way radio and top lights so that
they can assist with traffic control, funeral escorts, assist air
ambulance service, vacation watch request and other details as
directed.
If you would like more information on how you can
start a Citizens Patrol Program, or you would like to contribute to
this website, contact Sgt. Rick Viola, Community Affairs Officer
with the Mountain Home Police Department by
E-Mail,
or at 208-587-2101 ext. 213 or complete the
Information Request Form. |
