Volunteers In Police Services (VIPS)

City of Dana Point

Volunteers In Police Services

The City of Dana Point Volunteers in Police Support (VIPS) Program is the volunteer component of Dana Point Police Services. The City has approximately 15-25 members in the program who perform valuable duties that serve the Dana Point community and its visitors.

The City is seeking Dana Point residents who are available and interested in providing staff support in the following areas. Each of these areas provide a very important service to the community. 

• Bicycle Patrol
• Event Support
• Friend in Need
• Office Support
• Van Patrol

Bicycle Patrol
The Bicycle Patrol focuses primarily on the beach and Dana Point Harbor Areas. Our Bike Patrol VIPS work in teams of 2-4, looking for anything suspicious. Volunteers in this capacity work approximately 3-hour shifts. A city electric bicycle and helmet are provided for this assignment. The position requires riding an electric bicycle on sidewalks and City streets, foot patrols through City parks and other areas which may include steps and uneven ground, reaching, light lifting, sitting, pushing, pulling, squatting, and exposure to weather.

Event Support
The City hosts many events throughout the year including music festivals, concerts in the park, movies in the park, the Turkey Trot, 4^th of July, and Festival of Whales, to name a few. At these events, VIPS assist with crowd control, traffic control, manning booths, and assisting event participants and City Staff. Volunteers typically work 4-6 hour shifts. This position requires walking through areas with uneven ground, reaching, light lifting, sitting, pushing, pulling, squatting, and exposure to weather.

Friend in Need
The Friend in Need (FIN) program is a free program for Dana Point residents over 65 years who live alone. FIN provides a sense of security and companionship to independent seniors. Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) offer weekly phone calls and in-person visits, ensuring these seniors feel supported, connected, and cared for.

Office Support
Our front counter Office Support team aids Police Services and other departments within the City. One of the most important positions in Police Services is working at the front counter. Along with answering phone calls from the public, the front counter is the first point of contact for visitors to the station. Alongside Police Services staff, front counter volunteers work in 4-hour shifts and assist the public when needed. The front counter also serves as a training area to familiarize volunteers with policy and procedures. The VIPS also compiles statistical reports tracking and analyzing volunteer hours. These documents provide valuable volunteer metrics to the City and Police Services. Office support volunteers may assist other City departments with various clerical tasks as well as our Crime Prevention Specialist and Community Service Unit. This position requires extended periods of sitting, telephone operation, communicating with callers, greeting and directing visitors, computer use, filing, other clerical duties, reaching, pushing, pulling, bending, squatting, and light lifting. Working the Office Support team and front counter are mandatory assignments for new VIPS.  

Van Patrol
Members of Van Patrol utilize a marked VIPS vehicle to patrol the City. They serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for Police Services looking for suspicious activities, graffiti, roadway hazards, or any other problems. During their travels, VIPS routinely check City parks, beaches, the harbor, and other facilities. Van Patrol also assists the City in providing vacation home check services for residents while they are away. Another important function of Van Patrol is assisting the City’s Code Enforcement Department. VIPS may be asked to check neighborhoods and City property for abandoned property, or for illegally posted signs advertising garage sales, estate sales, or open houses. This position requires driving a City vehicle, foot patrols through City parks and other areas that may include steps, uneven ground, as well as light lifting, reaching, bending, sitting, pushing, pulling, squatting, and exposure to weather.

Work schedules for volunteers in the City’s Volunteers in Police Services Program (VIPS) are diverse and varied depending upon the program needs and the volunteer’s availability. Volunteers are not guaranteed a regular, set schedule, and may be dismissed at any time without cause as determined by the City’s Police Services Department; the City reserves the right to request that a volunteer leave immediately if circumstances warrant such action.