Call for backup encounters silence

When the Logan COPS substation needed more volunteers, it advertised in newspapers and got a request for volunteers into as many community calendars as possible. When the Greater Spokane COPS substation downtown needed volunteers, it got a public service announcement on TV. Both have had the same response: absolutely no one has called.

“I really don’t understand it,” said Bud Hall, volunteer at Greater Spokane COPS. “People want a crime-free environment but they don’t want to work for it. Why don’t they want to help their neighborhood?”

At Mission Avenue COPS, which is inside Spokane Community College, two people staff the counter.

“The actual hours here are 8 to 5 but we don’t have enough volunteers and can’t stay open that long,” said Carol Maritsch, adding that she’d like to be open for much longer. “I like the whole concept of being able to help the police department.” Maritsch is at COPS through an AARP program that pays seniors who are developing work experience so they can become gainfully employed. Those positions are temporary. COPS has several AARP-staffed positions like that and they are all short term.

“I’m not sure if I’m done in January or June of next year, but my position is not permanent,” said Maritsch.

At Greater Spokane COPS, hours have been cut, too, as many volunteers have left because they are retiring.

“Our volunteer base is old, there is no other way of saying it, we are all older people here,” said Hall. “Some have been here for all of the 15 years COPS have been around.” There are now just four volunteers left.

At Logan COPS they try to stay open from 1 to 5 p.m. every day and staffing is down to four people.

“We need as many volunteers as we can get. There was a time not so long ago where we were open in the afternoon,” said Charlene LaPlante, a volunteer with Logan COPS. “I wish we could do that again, but things are changing, we have had some people here for 20 years and they retire – then we don’t have anyone else.”

On top of this, Mayor Mary Verner has released a budget for 2011 that suggests cutting $120,000 out of COPS $205,000 annual budget. Currently, three full-time staffers manage COPS and the educational outreach programs put on by the substations.

“If the budget cuts go through, two of the three paid staff would be laid off,” said Maurece Vulcano, COPS programs manager. “The administrative support for the more than 300 volunteers would be zero. And that one staff person would be left to do all the volunteer training.” Vulcano added that if the administrative staff is cut back some volunteers may leave simply for the lack of support.

The most pressing issue is clearly the lack of volunteers and since it’s so difficult to attract them has the program simply run its course?

“No, I certainly don’t think so,” said Maritsch. “We get a lot of tips from the public, and tips from the public are super important to police investigations. We also connect people with the right resources: sometimes they don’t need a police officer, they need someone from code enforcement.”

Hall said he understands that it’s difficult for younger people with families and full-time jobs to volunteer during the day.

“But the newly retired folks? Where are they? Don’t they need something to do?” Hall said.

Volunteer jobs run the gamut from working the front desk, to data entry and working with outreach programs like Block Watch and Operation Family ID.

“I’d also like to see some more working people get involved,” said Vulcano. “Their work hours don’t allow behind the desk volunteering, but most of our programs can be done outside of the substation or outside of opening hours.”

Hall is not sure what keeps the volunteers away.

“Perhaps it’s that we have 10 minutes of activity, and then sometimes 10 hours of boredom where nothing happens,” he said. “It’s not like being at a food bank where people come in all the time. Today, we’ve had two walk-ins and four phone calls.”

The volunteer jobs are not dangerous. Because some COPS substations house parole officers the occasional offender comes to check in, but Hall said that’s a very small part of the volunteer experience.

“There is no danger here,” he said. “Some volunteers may be disappointed that they don’t get to work more closely with the officers, but that’s just not what we do – we help the citizens who come in to see us.”

A volunteer must be 18 or older and there is a background check.

“Volunteering with us is really an easy thing,” said Logan’s LaPlante. “And we need you. Even if you can just volunteer two or three hours one day, we’ll find something for you to do.”