Volunteers On Patrol (VOP)

About the Program

At the Regular City Council meeting on December 13, 2010, the Council approved the establishment of a Volunteers On Patrol (VOP) program in the City of Malibu. The VOP program was created by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to allow civilian volunteers to help the Sheriff's Department achieve its goals, while helping to serve and protect the local community. As 'eyes and ears' for the Department, VOP members provide assistance in identifying suspicious activities, crimes in progress, or other dangerous circumstances, and notifying the authorities for proper handling. The VOP team also helps enforce the City's parking regulations through the issuance of parking citations.

Minimum Requirements

In order to be considered as a volunteer candidate for the VOP program, an individual must:

• Be an adult (18+ years old) resident of the City of Malibu
• Complete an oral interview
• Submit to a background check
• Commit to participate in continual training classes
• Meet minimum driving standards

Duties

While VOP members are not law enforcement officers, they act as the Sheriff's Department's "eyes and ears" in the community, requesting assistance from deputies when needed. The VOP receive intense training from the Sheriff's Department to assist with such responsibilities as:

• Traffic control
• Highway safety
• Disaster response
• First aid and CPR
• Parking enforcement
• Vacation and business checks
• Residential patrols
• Monitoring City-sponsored events

Apply

Additional criteria can be found in the VOP Program Description. Anyone interested in applying to the VOP program, or seeking more information, can contact the Malibu VOP Team Leader Mark Russo at malibuvop@gmail.com.