Sense of service
They watch your house when you’re vacationing in Hawaii, control the crowds while you’re pigging out in the park and play cops and robbers with a sense of importance. They are the volunteers of the Spokane Police Department, who proudly wear the badge of civic-minded citizens. Last year, 112 men and women volunteered 52,812 hours, considered a typical year by the department. At minimum wage, their donated time would have amounted to a $365,000 payroll.
By comparison, the city of Boise’s volunteers worked 7,772 hours. Its combined volunteers and intern program totaled 17,601 hours, saving the city $221,805.
“I think we have the best volunteers in the world,” Spokane Chief Roger Bragdon said. “I say this to a lot of other communities: ‘We have different types of people in Spokane.’
“Their people are not as eager to help, where people here line up to help other people.”
Not only do they help; many pitch in for years. Senior volunteers, who are asked to work at least one four-hour shift a week, make up the largest number of volunteers.
They also work the most hours. Last year there were 43 seniors (the number is 47 this year) who logged 23,000 hours.
Hazel Vercruysse, for example, should be considered super senior. The 79-year-old, who started volunteering in 1989, works about 12 to 15 hours a week.
She has put in about 13,000 over the years.
“She’s unreal,” Bragdon said “I see her all over the place.”
Vercruysse’s responsibilities range from patrolling parades to conducting home security checks. To the Northeast area resident, it’s always a fun adventure.
“When I got into volunteering, I didn’t want to do something where I’d go home and get depressed,” Vercruysse said. “This keeps you on your toes.”
The 2004 volunteers also included 17 college students from Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University and Spokane Community College enrolled in the Spokane Police Department Cooperative Education Program. For many COOP students, volunteer work leads to full-time careers in law enforcement.
Sgt. Frank Scalise, head of Volunteer Services, estimated that between 20 and 25 percent of the city’s patrol division served as volunteers in some capacity as a COOP, Explorer or reserve. Ken DeCataldo, a Ferris High and a soon-to-be SCC graduate is well on his way to a career in law enforcement.
DeCataldo, 20, supervises a COOP class of 20 students. He regularly assists at crime scenes during his 40-hour-a-month volunteer job and also works as a Riverfront Park security officer.
Other volunteers who made up the 52,812 hours were 20 Explorers (ages 14-21); 19 reserves ( the only volunteers who can wear guns), 11 chaplains and two office specialists. The chaplains were asked to deliver death notices to 221 families during 2004.
Much like DeCataldo, North Central High senior Tricia Beck is planning a career in criminal justice. She became interested four years ago when she picked up a brochure at school.
Three years later, Beck has logged 2,600 volunteer hours. Last year, she put in 1,294 hours.
She said she does “everything” and “anything” for a paycheck “with a lot of zeros” (and nothing more).
One of her most recent jobs was acting the part of gunman at a mock robbery scene. The drill is used to train officers.
“We have them all through the Police Department,” Bragdon said of the volunteers. “And we have not, to my knowledge, had one single problem. They’re incredible people.”
Bragdon said the department always is looking for people of integrity and with a clean history. They also need to show a genuine interest in helping the community.
The screening process includes a background check and an oral board.