Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)

		Learn more about the Special Needs Program.   Learn more about the You Are Not Alone Program (Y.A.N.A.).

Post Falls has a wealth of knowledge, talent and experience in its retired citizen population.  The Post Falls Police Department is fortunate to have become the beneficiary of some of that talent.

The VIPS (Volunteers in Police Service) Program was begun in 2003 with five volunteers.  As of January 2008, there are 22 active volunteers who have become an invaluable and indispensable resource and asset.  VIPS have backgrounds in such varied fields as real estate, the medical field, telemetry, electrical contracting and engineering, machinist, budget and finance, computer technology and education.

Presently, VIPS are engaged in many and varied activities at the police department which, in turn, allows the police department to better serve the citizens of Post Falls .  They perform such duties as: manning the front desk and phones, duplicating, filing and scanning documents and records, code enforcement issues, such as abandoned vehicles, updating business premise contact files, working with OASIS, creating and working with computer data bases, assisting the evidence custodian, Neighborhood Watch, YANA (You Are Not Alone), to name a few.  In addition, the Volunteers on Patrol (VOP) patrol in specially marked police department vehicles, set up the speed trailer, do traffic control, patrol the Centennial Trail on an all terrain vehicle, and generally function as another set of eyes and ears in the community.

The VIPS Program has also added a positive element by placing older citizens in positions within the police department and giving them meaningful assignments which enhance the police department’s ability to serve the citizens of Post Falls .

The VIPS Program had continued to grow and expand.  Prospective volunteers must apply, be finger printed, submit to a polygraph examination and background check and pass an oral interview.   Selected candidates are given approximately twenty four hours of orientation and training in various aspects of police work and CPR followed by on the job training.  VIPS are required to work a minimum of four hours per week.  For further information, contact the Community Services Administrator, Robin Hutchins, at the Post Falls Police Department 773-3517 or download our VIPS recruiting brochure. (1.2 Mb doc file).