Calling all readers who are 50+ with a heart for volunteerism and are ready to help Coronado! The Coronado Police Department Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP) program is currently recruiting new members. Have a ride in the patrol cars, get to know the community better, and provide a service that makes a difference. Stop by the Public Safety Open House on Sunday, October 6 from 11 am to 2 pm to learn more. The Police Department will be open for tours, and there will be activities for the whole family, including safety demonstrations, a helicopter landing, food, and more! This is a free event.
History of Coronado Police Department Senior Volunteer Patrol Program
Nearing 30 years of service, the CPD SVP program is going strong. Lea Corbin, Community Relations – PIO and Training Manager at the CPD, informs that the program started in 1995 and it was full of 40 people of the greatest generation. The greatest generation is generally defined as “people born from 1901 to 1927. They were shaped by the Great Depression and were the primary generation composing the enlisted forces in World War II.”
Lea shares, “We had an abundance of people during that time seeking volunteerism. There was another agency in the county who started a senior volunteer program and after we saw that, we realized there was a need. Not only for the police department, but for the community. We needed a little assistance in some areas and we had community members who wanted to help us, so we started the program in 1995.”
Requirements to Join
As far as requirements to join, Lea debunks a common assumption, “You don’t have to live in Coronado. We currently have some volunteers who are part-time Coronado residents and they move out of state for half of the year. We have some volunteers who live elsewhere in San Diego County and they have ties to the community. Some served in the military or used to live here or have family here. It is a reason to bring them back to the community.” The caveat is that volunteers complete a minimum of 120 hours which includes a minimum of 24 patrols per year.
While other agencies call their senior volunteers RSVs or retired senior volunteers, Coronado has steered away from the term. Lea explains, “we don’t like to use RSV. We found years ago that a lot of our volunteers still work so we call them senior volunteers.” Another change that was made early on was the minimum age requirement. Lea shares, “When the program first started, the requirement was for 55 and older but then after a decade or so went by, we realized that people were retiring at a younger age so we lowered that to 50. You don’t have to be retired, you just need to put in a certain amount of hours every month into the program.”
Coronado Police Department Senior Volunteers – John Meyes and Olga Lavalle
One working member of the program is Olga Lavalle. Olga shares how she became involved, “I first saw some of the volunteers at a car show because we do a lot of special events. I asked what it took to join. I was surprised to learn that you only have to be over 50—I thought you had to be over 65! So I joined immediately.”
As far as still working in the community while also patrolling, Olga shares that she finds it easy to find time for both. “It’s very doable. The requirement is 120 hours of service a year, which translates to roughly two shifts per month. I usually work with John [Meyes] on Saturdays.”
John Meyes, Senior Volunteer Patrol Coordinator, shares his own introduction to the senior volunteers. “I’ve been with the program since 2007, so it’s been almost 18 years now. Before that, I was in Arizona doing consulting work. We moved out here and one day my son said, ‘Dad, you need something to do.’ There was an ad in the paper for senior volunteers, so I went down and signed up. I’ve been with them ever since.”
Community Contributions of the SVP
Lea says, “The volunteer program is a huge asset to the community. Our police officers can’t be everywhere at all times, so our volunteers help us out. On patrol, they see things and get to know the community. They let us know if there needs to be anything special looked at like extra patrol. You’ll see them walking around during the parade. In the summer months, they’ll do beach patrol. They do go through an academy and a background process just like an employee.”
SVP Program Provides Vacation House Checks
One of the services the senior volunteers provide is vacation house checks. If a community member will be away from their home for a period of time, they can stop by the station and complete a vacation house check form. Lee explains, “Our senior volunteers will check the perimeter of their home while they’re on vacation. If there’s anything out of place or anything suspicious, then they’ll contact a police officer to come out and evaluate. They’ll also contact the responsible party.”
There has been a downward trend in vacation house checks. John muses, “Pre-pandemic, we did quite a few—sometimes five or more in a day. That number has dropped off significantly, and we’re not sure why. Maybe it’s because of increased home security systems or people simply not knowing about our service. We want to get the word out that this service is available and free.”
Olga shares her thoughts, “There are a lot of people that don’t know about it. I’ve been here for 40/50 years and I did not know that the senior volunteers do this. It’s a great service having people that go and look at your home, at no cost! It’s free and it’s very, very detailed. We are an additional set of eyes for the police presence around town.”
Olga laughs while sharing the first vacation house check she went on, “I was with Jim, one of our knowledgeable members, doing a house check. He parked in front of a house and asked me to get out and start searching the house. I thought, ‘No Jim, we can’t do that!’ He started laughing because it was his own house!”
John shares his own humorous house check experience. “One of the things we don’t do is if there are packages, we don’t move them. We’ll call the responsible person to move them because we don’t move official mail. For this one, there was no responsible party so I called the owner. The owner says, ‘Oh it’s just a box, just throw it over my fence.’ I said, ‘Well it’s a 16 inch TV.’ He decided to call his friend.”
While there are a lot of good times and fun stories, this is also a serious job and the senior patrol makes a difference. John recalls another house check experience that could have ended in catastrophe. “During a house check, one of the volunteers heard water running. They called the responsible party and there was a major water leak on the pipes under the house.” In another instance, “I did a house check one time with my partner years ago and it was one of the double houses. We smelled gas – the person in the house had gone to the hospital and left the burner or something on. We could smell gas outside the house so immediately called the fire department and they went in and shut it off.”
If you are interested in someone checking on your house while you’re away, complete a form at the Coronado Police Department at 700 Orange Ave.
Additional SVP Responsibilities
One of Olga’s favorite duties is volunteering during Coronado’s special events. She shares, “It’s a very friendly interaction that you have with the public. You’re there to answer questions, to give directions and information. The last time we were at the car show, we had a little booth where we gave information about how you can join. Then there’s the Flower Show! I do enjoy all the special events that we have here in Coronado.”
An assignment that John enjoys is issuing written warnings – for a surprising reason. “We do a lot of written warnings and it’s an interesting reaction when we tell people their plate’s expired, or when somebody happens to come up when you are writing one. It’s funny how many people say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize it was expired.’ It might be expired for six months! Anytime we give somebody a written warning, it’s just a warning. We’re telling them, ‘Hey, you have an expired plate or you have something else wrong with your car.’ I had one guy that actually took the warning and said, ‘I know I’ll forget this’ and he taped it to the dashboard of his car. It really makes you feel good that you’re helping people.”
Join the Senior Volunteer Patrol Program
John explains that the program has changed significantly over the years. “We do a lot more than we did 15 years ago or even 10 years ago. Anything more that we can do to take the load off the police so they can focus on their primary duty of stopping crime – that’s a positive. Also, we are always looking for new tasks. Plus it keeps us fresh because the more things you have to do the more mentally sharp you are.”
If you are ready to make a difference and meet the requirements, reach out to the Coronado Police Department for to learn how you can join the SVP program. And don’t forget to stop by the Public Safety Open House on Sunday, October 6 from 11 am to 2 pm.
Coronado Police Department
700 Orange Ave, Coronado
619-522-7350
