It’s a windy Friday morning and you’re on your way to the airport for a long-awaited vacation. By this time tomorrow, you’ll be boarding a three-week-long cruise. As you watch your house fade into the distance in the rearview mirror, you wonder if anyone would notice something like a break-in occurring at your house. As you pull into the parking lot of the airport, you remember you already requested a vacation home check by volunteers from the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Citizens on Patrol will check in on your home, providing peace of mind for you and your neighbors.

But who are the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Citizens on Patrol? 

They’re a group of volunteers who take smaller tasks off of the shoulders of Deputies within the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers with Citizens on Patrol complete tasks such as vacation home checks, vehicle identification number inspections, and aiding with traffic control around special events and crime scenes. The tasks they take on do not require a sworn law enforcement officer to complete and could otherwise diminish the time and resources of sworn Deputies.

Volunteers in the Citizens on Patrol program attend an extensive academy prior to beginning their service. The academy is led by Rich Bacher, a retired police chief turned de facto leader of the C.O.P. program. After years of volunteering with other local law enforcement agencies, he was recruited to help organize the C.O.P. program. In 2016, he led the charge to define the role of the program within the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office and has helped form it into the robust volunteer program it is today.

“Citizens on Patrol volunteers aren’t armed at all and are not sworn law enforcement officers in any way, but we take an oath to help our community and the Deputies to the best of our abilities,” Bacher says. “Most of our volunteers don’t have any law enforcement background, so the C.O.P. academy gives them good insights. One highlight is learning how to drive a patrol car, just like the deputies do, which is exciting for them,” he chuckles.

Dave Miller, the lead administrative volunteer for the Citizens on Patrol program, nods in agreement. “I had no law enforcement experience when I started as a volunteer,” he says. “I saw the group at an event at the mall and asked if they had a ride-along option. Next thing you know, they recruited me to be a volunteer.”

“I didn’t have a law enforcement background either,” chimes in Jan Moss, who has volunteered with the C.O.P. program since 2004. Moss has been part of the evolution of the program and her responsibilities have evolved, too. “We're really here to help and supplement the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. I went from doing vacation home checks and VIN inspections to now I help with follow-up on towed and impounded vehicles and administrative help for the Investigations Unit.”

Each year, Citizens on Patrol volunteers respond to an average of 2,500 calls for services and contribute thousands of hours of community service. Whether they’re conducting school walkthroughs and safety checks, patrolling trailheads, or directing traffic during special events, volunteers can be regularly found throughout the Mesa County community.

And when they’re faced with a situation where a sworn Deputy is needed? The Deputies of the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office are just a radio call away. “The Deputies always have our backs,” Moss says with a smile.

For information on the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Citizens on Patrol program, visit the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office website at https://bit.ly/MCSOCitizensonPatrol