Publicly thanking all South Bend Police Department VIPS Volunteers for their service to the community

Home Browse Search

�nt,T/ID 4R � M1O ID Q Via.,:, u o VI *So �I YeHMMn� hA�efaNw RESOLUTION NO. 14S314—IL0 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA PUBLICLY THANKING ALL OF THE SOUTH BEND POLICE DEPARTMENT VIPS VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY Gym the Common Council notes that the U.S. Department of Justice through the Bureau of Justice Assistance established Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) to "provide support & resources for agencies interested in developing or enhancing a volunteer program & for citizens who wish to volunteer their time and skills with a community law enforcement agency. The program's goal is to enhance state and local law enforcement by using volunteers who are protected from liability under the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 upon being properly trained & regularly updated by police; and 6*C,w� the VIPS program is funded in part by the DOJ's Bureau of Justice Assistance, and is managed and implemented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in partnership with the White House Office of the USA Freedom Corps. It is an outgrowth of community policing initiatives nationwide which followed the attacks of 9/11 and was officially launched under President George W. Bush on May 30, 2002; and 6 today there are more than 1,950 volunteer programs representing all fifty (50) states with more than 224,000 individuals donating their time as VIPS volunteers, and the City of South Bend is proud to note that it has approximately 30 members, 15 of which earned the President's Volunteer Service Award during 2015, namely: Joyce Pinkerton 839 hours Gold Award Joyce Dudley 198 hours Bronze Award Barb McClure 835 hours Gold Award Oscar Cantu 174 Hours Bronze Award Debby Sallee 557 hours Gold Award Kent Ramsey 173 hours Bronze Award Becky Brehm 538 hours Gold Award Roger C. Nimtz 161 hours Bronze Award Manny Gonzalez 320 hours Silver Award Wally Cole 127 hours Bronze Award Barb Ortiz 281 hours Silver Award Larry DeLaruelle 126 hours Bronze Award Jane Jantzi 252 hours Silver Award Bob Balint 103 hours Bronze Award Joyce Rankin 202 hours Bronze Award with the remaining VIPS Members having just under 100 hours of service time donated last year; and some of the many functions which VIPS volunteers perform throughout the nation include administrative duties such as entering data, typing and filing reports, and answering phones; with citizen patrols providing a visual deterrent, conducting home vacation checks, conducting traffic surveys, providing bike patrols in community parks, patrolling shopping centers to assistant stranded motorists or lost youth, assisting in crime prevention and graffiti abatement programs, and being involved in a multitude of youth - related activities. r i . r- . r. „r r.r r i (!r r (!r r r V r r %r a .r• . r dr r r, r r �. Section I. The Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, notes that the South Bend Police Department VIPS are under the leadership of Lieutenant Patrick Hechlinski, VIPS Unit Commander, who oversees volunteers who "fill in critical gaps in program support which enables the police department to respond more effectively to enforcement and policing priorities" by having VIPS Members act as the "Eyes & Ears" for police. Section II. The Common Council is proud to publicly recognize that in 2015 SBPD VIPS Members volunteered 5,670.50 hours. On behalf of all residents of the City of South Bend, the Common Council expresses its gratitude to all of the SBPD VIPS Members for their dedication and public service to our community. Section III. This Reso u ' shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption by t ommon Council and roval -b� th im t. 1St District Council Member' OrW.J. Davis, 61'' stnct Council Member Randy Kelly, 3' District Council Member Jo , 4"' District Council mber Dr. David Varner, 5 " District Karee ah Fowler, Ci y Clerk oorde, At Large Cam. uncil Member Gavin F ic, At Large Council Member K ren L. White, At Large Council Member Kathleen Cekanski Farrand, Council Attorney —OOZ6 Pete Buttigie yor of South Bend, Indiana