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JOB OPPORTUNITIES The VIPS program offers a lot of flexibility depending on how much time you want to devote to the program. Whether you want to be involved on a regular basis or only once in a while, we’ll have something for you to do. Listed below is list of the jobs available to you. Each listing also states whether the job is scheduled or on-call; how often the job can be performed, whether daily, weekly, or monthly; and how much time it generally takes to perform the job. Keep in mind that this program is designed to utilize your gifts and talents and the list of descriptions are just a few of the examples of what’s available. ANIMAL SHELTER Scheduled How Often: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Time: Several hours a week Walking dogs, locating the owners of lost pets, grooming pets to increase their chances of adoption, shelter maintenance, licensing animals, and conducting rabies clinics are a few of the opportunities available at the animal shelter. BICYCLE PROGRAM Scheduled How Often: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Time: A few hours a week Every year the police department recovers bicycles that are found throughout the town. Sorting through the bikes, trying to find the owners, and eventually disposing of the bikes is a job that’s available. In addition volunteers are also needed to conduct bicycle licensing and safety courses. These courses allow us to not only train young people in safety issues, but are also an opportunity to establish relationships with the youth of our community. CITIZEN EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM On Call How Often: As needed Time: Depends on situation This is our version of the
CERT program mentioned above. Everyone will receive special training in basic
disaster response skills, such as fire suppression, search and rescue, and
medical operations. In the event of a local emergency these members will be
utilized to assist the Public Safety departments of the city.
COMMUNITY RESOURCE ASSISTANT Scheduled How Often: A few times a year Time: Several hours each time Members will participate in role plays and training scenarios for officers, be involved with public safety campaigns, and help staff a department booth and distribute information on police, fire, & EMS services at community events. Duties will also include fingerprinting and creating ID cards for children. The ID and fingerprint cards will be used to help law enforcement in the event a child becomes lost or missing. CITIZENS ON PATROL Scheduled and On Call How Often: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Time: A few hours to several hours each time Assist and support officers
by acting as additional “Eyes and Ears” in areas experiencing vandalism,
loitering, traffic problems, and other crimes. Members may also be called out
in the event of a large traffic accident where members will be needed to assist
with traffic control. If we have an area experiencing problems, such as
vandalism, burglaries, etc., members will be dispatched to that area with a cell
phone, radio, notebook, and binoculars. Anything out of the ordinary will be
reported to dispatch. Since many crimes take place under the cover of darkness,
this may involve evenings and nights.
FIRE & EMS On Call How Often: As needed Time: Several hours each time Assist and support the fire and EMS department in the event of a local emergency. When there’s a large fire of any kind, whether it’s a structure fire or forest fire, our local resources are tapped quickly. The fire department is manned with volunteer firefighters and when we have a large fire, they’re all utilized. The resources of the police department are also pushed to their limit. Members will be needed to help with traffic and crowd control, to help feed the emergency crews, and to be available to run after needed supplies. OFFICE ASSISTANT Scheduled How Often: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Time: A few hours Assist office staff with records management, sexual offender registry, answering telephone calls, filing, and other office duties. Duties could range from data-entry to delivering papers to the states attorney and city hall. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE Scheduled How Often: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Time: A few to several hours each time Gather important information on Alzheimer’s patients and other individuals with medical conditions that may help law enforcement and medical personnel in the event of an emergency. This information could include vital instructions or information that responding emergency crews need to know; including information that could save a life. Members will gather the important information that needs to be input into our dispatch system. NEIGHBORHOOD & BUSINESS WATCH Scheduled How Often: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Time: A few to several hours each time Pro-active approach to crime prevention by establishing relationships with neighbors and local business owners. Duties will include gathering business contact information. This information will be used in the event of an emergency or open door at their business to contact the appropriate people. DETENTION & TRANSPORT On Call Time: Several hours Occurs: Monthly, sometimes weekly Assist officers with detention and transporting of juvenile and adult prisoners. When arrested, juveniles are brought back to the law enforcement center and their parents are called. An officer then has to wait with the juvenile until their parents arrive to pick them up. This can sometimes take a few hours, depending on where the parents were when they were called. This ties up an officer’s time and that officer is not available in the event of another call or emergency. VIPS members will be available to watch the juvenile while the officer locates their parents. In some cases they have to be taken to the Juvenile Services Center in Rapid City, where VIPS members will also assist with the transport to Rapid. Another transport opportunity arises when officers do emergency mental committals. The person being committed needs to be taken down to Rapid City Regional Hospital. Having VIPS members available to help transport will reduce the need to take an officer off the streets. SCHOOL RESOURCE ASSISTANT Scheduled Time: Several hours Occurs: Occasionally Assist school resource officers with special functions, school-based programs such as D.A.R.E. and I-Safe, teaching classes, after-school programs, and building relationships with young people in our community. SCHOOL & PARK WATCH Scheduled Time: Several hours Occurs: Daily Patrol around schools and parks watching for strange vehicles, persons, and events. Members that are visible in the areas our children play and go to school will help bring reassurance to parents that their children are safe. Members presence will help prevent child-on-child violence and bullying as well as stranger danger. Member’s presence will also help prevent the abuse of public property. SPECIAL EVENTS Scheduled Time: Depends on event Occurs: Monthly Provide additional manpower assisting with traffic and crowd control; assist stranded motorists, hospitality, and other duties during special events such as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, parades, and school or community functions. During the motorcycle rally members are needed to watch juveniles, assist with data-entry, assist with feeding emergency workers, running errands, assisting people whose vehicles have been towed, and an array of other duties. TRAFFIC WATCH Scheduled Time: Several hours Occurs: Weekly/Monthly Conduct traffic and speed surveys in areas of town with traffic problems. Members will be placed in the area experiencing problems with a radar gun, which will be used to record the speed of any vehicles that pass that area. Members will also record the time, direction of travel, and license number of speeding vehicles. VACATION & WELFARE CHECKS Scheduled Time: Several hours Occurs: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Check homes of residents on vacation and conduct welfare checks on senior or disabled persons. Being involved with this program will give you an excuse to be a good neighbor. Stop by to say hello, have some coffee, and make sure your neighbors and their property are ok. VICTIM ASSISTANCE TEAM On Call Time: Several hours Occurs: Monthly, sometimes weekly Specially trained volunteers available on a rotating basis to respond 24/7 to citizens who have been victimized by crime, abuse, neglect, or life itself. Team members provide crisis intervention, community resource referral services, and court assistance if requested. When a crisis happens in our community, there is almost always a victim or multiple victims. Oftentimes law enforcement and other emergency workers are dealing with the situation at hand and aren’t able to assist the victim of the crisis. VIPS members who make themselves available in an emergency can be a tremendous help to the victims, not only with their presence and willingness to assist, but by also being able to acquire resources to help that person in need. YOUTH & FAMILIES AT RISK On Call and Scheduled Time: Several hours Occurs: Monthly, sometimes weekly Establishing one-on-one relationships with young people and families experiencing difficulties and problems at school, at home, and in the community. Law enforcement officers have the unique job of being involved in almost every negative emergency that happens in someone’s life. The police get called to every conceivable problem under the sun, even if it has nothing to do with law enforcement. VIPS members will be another resource for officers to call upon when the problem they’re dealing with doesn’t necessarily warrant law enforcement, but the intervention of someone who can help. There are a lot of kids that fall through the cracks of society. The problems they’re dealing with aren’t enough to get them in legal trouble, but without intervention they’ll end up a statistic. Sometimes people just need to talk with someone who cares, and they’re often reluctant to talk to law enforcement officers. VIPS members will be available to help in those situations and to assist that person with getting the help they need. SPECIAL SKILLS On Call and Scheduled Time: Depends on duties Occurs: Depends on duties You may have special skills and talents that weren’t specified on this list. Don’t let that hinder you from applying for VIPS. If you have a talent you’d like to utilize, we’ll help you find a job that fits your desire. If you like working on cars, we’ll put you to work on our patrol cars. If you like woodworking, we’ll put you to work on some projects. If you have a desire to be involved, we’ll find a place for you.
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