Volunteers on Patrol make community a safer place to live

JOHN LOESING Acorn Newspapers VOLUNTEERS- Arthur Estrada, left, and Bernie la Fianza offer assistance at last month's Agoura Relay for Life. Bernie la Fianza has lived in Agoura Hills for 28 years. At 69, the retired naval officer remains active in the community by offering his services as a crime prevention volunteer.

"Agoura Hills was quite a different city when we moved in," la Fianza said. "It's still a nice place to live, but things have changed. There are cars being broken into and graffiti in the community. I'd just like the city to be as safe as it reasonably can- for my family and everyone else."

When la Fianza saw an advertisement last August about the city starting a Volunteers On Patrol (VOP) program, he decided to investigate. La Fianza, who served in the Navy for 25 years, is the volunteer coordinator for the Agoura Hills unit.

"The program can be compared to Neighborhood Watch with wheels," la Fianza said. "It's extra eyes and ears. An extra presence."

The VOP program is jointly sponsored by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Westlake Village.

VOP volunteers are provided with patrol cars, uniforms and equipment by the cities.

The Agoura Hills program began in August 2007 and currently has six members. The city has purchased a car and equipped it with rooftop lights, cellphones, and city and sheriff's department decals.

The sheriff's department provides training, and all operations are conducted under the supervision and control of the deputies at the Lost Hills station.

Lost Hills deputies Shawn Brownell and Robert DeSantis help oversee VOP operations. In addition to the new Agoura program, they oversee the 11yearold Calabasas VOP, which has six members, and the 8-year-old Westlake Village program, which has 11 volunteers.

"Instead of being around the house like in a neighborhood watch program, citizens go out in a vehicle paired up with another team member," Brownell said. "We ask them to drive around and, first and foremost, watch for suspicious activity. If they see anything criminal in nature, they get on a cellphone and call us like any other citizen would."

VOP personnel have a variety of other duties, including issuing red warning tickets to abandoned vehicles, reporting graffiti and providing special event assistance. They also provide vacation checks on homes if requested, driving by the property while the occupants are out of town.

"A lot of it is also about making contacts with people and business owners, letting them know what they are doing and why they are in uniform," Brownell said. "Part of it is going around talking to people, making those connections."

Any citizen over the age of 18 can apply to be a member of the VOP program. Deputies interview and screen all applicants, taking fingerprints and running a background check. No applicants with a felony history are accepted.

"We are looking for people who are able to be trained and for people who are somewhat sharp," Brownell said. "It doesn't matter how old they are. If they have their wits about them, they are fine for the program.

La Fianza said they are looking for more volunteers.

"(We need more) men and women to provide greater continuity and scope to the patrols and to provide further assistance to the residents, city government and the sheriff's department," he said. "We are looking for people interested in the community and interested in providing an additional level of safety."

Volunteers must complete a driver's training program and are expected to volunteer a minimum of 16 hours per month. Shifts are generally scheduled during daylight hours. Insurance coverage is provided.

For more information, call Brownell at (818) 878-1808, ext. 3103, or e-mail swbrowne @lasd .org.