More sheriff's volunteers could issue tickets

Fifteen Sheriff's Department volunteers and civilian employees will be able to write parking tickets in Carson City if the Board of Supervisors approves the plan on Thursday.

For the Sheriff's Department, the proposal would free deputies up to respond to other calls. For drivers who park illegally, it improves the odds they'll get a citation.

Employees with several other city departments already have the power to write citations, but don't necessarily patrol for parking violations. Those departments include some fire department employees, park rangers, a variety of city inspectors, animal control officers, and some planning, utilities, community development and engineering personnel.

The supervisors twice this year alone have approved additions to the list.

The city also employs two people who patrol downtown for parking violations. Adding the volunteers and civilian employees would require no funding, except for the cost of materials to write citations, and is expected to bring the city only a little more revenue, said Sheriff Kenny Furlong.

Its worth as a time-saving tool should prove invaluable, however. It can take a deputy up to 20 minutes to write a citation, and that excludes travel time for the deputy, Furlong said.

"They have to call someone from patrol over to do it," he said. "It'll create a little more efficiency."

Extensive training won't be necessary for the portion of the Volunteers in Police Service membership who focus on patrol work, because they already understand the practice.

Members of the department's reservists program - volunteers with more than 200 hours of law enforcement training - already can write tickets, Furlong said. Reservists get paid occasionally - during fires, floods and other emergencies.

Patrolling VIPS would have a citation-writing authority equivalent to that of the city's parking-enforcement officer. The department's service technicians - paid civilians who focus on a variety of field and desk duties - also would be included on the list.

If the latest proposal is approved by supervisors, the patrolling VIPS could start writing tickets soon, Furlong said.

VIPS also provides chaplain services, a citizens' patrol, a citizens' police academy and a variety of technical and clerical functions in Carson City. The Explorers program, open to teens and young adults, is part of the program.

About one-third of the 45 members of VIPS conduct patrols.

The local VIPS group was organized in 2003. It is part of the USA Freedom Corps initiative created by President Bush. It's a way for volunteers to help communities prevent, prepare for, and deal with crimes, natural disasters and other emergencies. There are nearly 1,400 VIPS organizations across the country.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.