Volunteering for Community Safety . .

Submitted by

Chief Hurley and Lt Bradley
Fernandina Beach Police Department

Gerry Clare

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department has been looking into saving money for the current budget crunch by eliminating their volunteer program.  However, in discussing this situation with our own Chief of Police and Lt. Jack Bradley, I was told that their volunteers are paid, receive cars and paid to attend the police academy to become law officers.  Obviously, this is a big budget item.

On the flip side, our own Fernandina Beach Police Department has over 100 volunteers who are unpaid and contribute hours of service at community events, festivals, funerals, traffic control and wherever needed. They are overseen by Steve Filkoff, Commander of the Police Auxiliary Corps, and once a volunteer himself.  A board of directors helps get donations for their uniforms and equipment.  There is only one “volunteer” car used as needed.  As Chief Hurley says, “these volunteers free up our officers to do the jobs they have been trained to do.”

Don McFadden and Steve Filkoff

Speaking of training, Lt. Jack Bradley mentioned that the volunteers receive in house training at the police department on First Aid, Traffic and Crowd Control, Human Relations and Diversity, and Basic Law, delineating their responsibilities as different from law officers.    Pastors on Patrol are also volunteers, headed by Don McFadyen and used in situations arising from everyday adversities to regular officer duties.  They are helpful to victims, victims’ families and police officers assigned to this type of crime.

Chief Hurley initiated this program around January of 2008 and it has been tremendously successful and pays for itself.  We are extremely lucky to have these familiar volunteers in our city.

 

 

Another program I did not mention, new to our community recently is the Senior Versus Crime program, headed by Berry Hertslet. Volunteer John Megna told me that this division has been successful in following up on civil cases and fraud aimed at senior citizens in our community while regular police officers follow up on criminal cases.

When I left the lobby of the Police Department, I also noticed a drop box for prescriptions for you or your pets, so that these medicines do not get into the wrong hands or into our environment.

Check all the programs, crime statistics and information  you need regarding the department by visiting the Fernandina Beach City website . (Click on Your Government, Departments, Police Department)

July 13, 2012

3:45 p.m.