Do You Want To Establish A PATROL For Your Neighborhood / Community?
Castro Community On Patrol (Castro Patrol / CCOP) is founded on a long-established and internationally known Community On Patrol Service (COPS) concept. Many COPS groups are created by law enforcement agencies and departments to supplement and extend their formal Police Officer resources. Others such as CCOP develop independent to formal law enforcement.
Our safety partner organization Community Patrol Service (CPS) works with neighborhoods and communities around the world to assist in creating COPS groups by providing information, guidance, intellectual support, and suggestions. CPS will be happy to chat with you about how to build and grow a COPS group in your neighborhood or community.
Some important things to consider before contacting CPS.
YOU MUST HAVE SUPPORT
Creating, staffing, maintaining, and deploying a COPS group in your area will require a LOT of support.
You will need a management team who will do the heavy organizational lifting of developing your policies, procedures, securing funding, scheduling training, and so on. This management team needs to be committed to the long-term success of your group.
You will need community support in order to find Patrol volunteers and to accept the Patrol organization as a positive influence in the area.
You will need the support of your local law enforcement agencies and personnel, as a strong collaboration and understanding in both directions will be essential to the success and effectiveness of your COPS program.
You will need the support of your local governmental and political officials to help your COPS program thrive and obtain the support and leverage it needs to make positive changes for your neighborhood and community. This may also be a vital source of grants and funding long-term.
YOU NEED TO SECURE QUALITY LEADERSHIP INDIVIDUALS
The success of your COPS group will depend largely on the quality of the management team you establish, and the quality of the individuals you select to conduct key functions within your organization such as recruitment, volunteer training, public relations, and so on.
Careful selection of quality and committed individuals into key positions and functions will make success much more likely, and should help to attract other quality individuals to your program at all levels of involvement.
TAKE TIME TO DISCUSS AND ESTABLISH YOUR POLICIES
As you establish a new COPS program, you will have many decisions to consider and make, including your program policies and procedures.
What type and level of training will your program provide? What type of equipment will your volunteers be issued for Patrols? How often will your Patrols take place? How long will each Patrol take?
Taking the time to consider carefully all of the options available, and making solid and informed decisions on your initial policies and procedures will be extremely helpful in convincing law enforcement, governmental, and community members to trust and engage with your program. This is time WELL SPENT.
You will always have to revisit and amend policies and procedures you have in place as time passes and different requirements are recognized. This is a normal part of program growth, but your initial decisions as you establish your program are key.
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Feel free to reach out to us using our CONTACT US option and we will be happy to chat with you or refer you to our CPS partners.