Lodi's Partners mark 15 years of service to police department

December marked the 15th anniversary of the Lodi Police Department Partners Volunteer Program.

Most citizens in Lodi are familiar with the Partners by seeing them on patrol, working special events or handling disabled parking citations. Driving white patrol vehicles marked "Partners" and wearing white uniform shirts, they are an important part of the Lodi Police Department and enhance the quality of service provided.

What began as a vision in 1993 of then-Police Chief and now Mayor Larry Hansen, Partners has grown into a program that is recognized internationally as a "model" law enforcement volunteer program. A few weeks ago, Mayor Hansen honored five Partners for completing 15 years of service at our annual dinner. The dinner was prepared by police staff and funded by the Lodi Police Foundation.

Fifteen years volunteering with one organization demonstrates the level of commitment and dedication of our Partners. It also says a lot about the acceptance and appreciation they receive from police department staff.

Here are some facts about volunteers and the Lodi Police Partners:

The average length of time a volunteer spends with one organization is two years.

Twenty-five percent of the citizens of California volunteer, with the national average at 27.2 percent. The state with the highest number of volunteers is Utah, with 43 percent of their citizens volunteering.

Women volunteer at a substantially higher rate than men.

Volunteers, on average, are as busy as other people; they just make time to volunteer. The largest difference in how time is spent between volunteers and non-volunteers comes down to how much television they each watch.

Nearly 61 million Americans volunteered in 2007, giving 8.1 billion hours of service worth nearly 158 billion dollars. The national average for the value of a volunteer hour is $18.86.

Several studies have shown that the positive effect of volunteering on physical and mental health is due to the personal sense of accomplishment and involvement gained from his or her volunteer activities. Overall, volunteers live healthier, happier lives.

In 2007, Partners donated nearly 27,000 hours of service to the community. That equals a dollar benefit to the community of $500,000.

Twenty-one Partners have received the President's Lifetime Achievement Award for donating more than 4,000 hours of service.

Partners requirements: age 50 and over; donate 16 hours per month; purchase their uniforms; have a clear criminal history; and complete the required screening and background process.

In February, we will be conducting the Partners Training Academy for 2009. If you would like to join this team of exceptional volunteers, I encourage you to contact the Partner's Office for an application or to answer any questions you may have. We will be conducting interviews with candidates through the month of January and will be inviting the most qualified candidates to join our team.

Any comments, questions or advice for Behind the Badge can be e-mailed to Jeanie Biskup at jbiskup@pd.lodi.gov or mailed to Lodi Police Department, 215 West Elm Street, Lodi, CA 95240, phone (209) 333-6864.

Reader Feedback

T & C wrote on Jan 6, 2009 8:33 AM:

" Donating either cat food or dog food to the Lodi Animal Shelter, or better still, Volunteering a few hours a week to "walk the dogs in their new fenced area would bring a smile to your face and each dog who is waiting to be adopted! Think about it! "

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T & C wrote on Jan 5, 2009 8:12 AM:

" Volunteerism is what 2009 will be all about in 2009! Please reader's, choose a worthy cause and donate some spare time! It "WILL" make a difference to others! There are churches, food banks, senior centers, seniors on your very block that would love to have a helping hand to clean their gutters, mow their yard now and then, trim tree branches, even to stop along your way around downtown and put the trash in the nearest trash can! Think about it! "

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