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GENERAL ORDER G-90-24: VOLUNTEERS-IN-POLICING PROGRAM
PURPOSE
To describe the responsibilities of persons participating in, or administering, the Division’s Volunteers-In-Policing Program, to ensure individuals who volunteer their time to the Police Division are properly screened before being given access to facilities or information systems, and to ensure employees who volunteer in any capacity in the Division for any type of activity that is sponsored or approved by the County or the Police Division, have been advised of activities in which they may not engage without being compensated and that employees are advised of their rights and insurance coverage for injuries occurring while performing volunteer activities.
PROCEDURES
I. RECRUITMENT AND SCREENING
A. Notification of need for volunteers
Any section in the Police Division that identifies a need for volunteer services for any cause or purpose shall first contact, in writing, the Community Services Section, Community Policing Unit, Community Engagement Coordinator, who serves as the Department Volunteer Coordinator.
B. Community Engagement Coordinator Responsibilities
1. The Community Engagement Coordinator shall have the responsibility for administering the Volunteers-In-Policing Program and establishing a standard operating procedure for interviewing, screening, and investigating any individual desiring to serve in the Police Division as a volunteer.
2. The Community Engagement Coordinator shall serve as a liaison with the County Personnel Volunteer Services Coordinator to coordinate and facilitate Division recruitment needs.
II. DIRECTION AND TRAINING
A. The Community Engagement Coordinator shall discuss the duties expected of the volunteers, establish written guidelines concerning the manner and scope of these duties, as well as the limitations of their authority.
B. Written guidelines concerning the duties of volunteers may be as brief as an inter-office memorandum or as extensive as a manual and shall be maintained at the section/unit level.
C. Volunteers shall not be assigned to duties requiring sworn officer status, and if uniformed, shall wear uniforms clearly distinguishable from those of Division sworn officers.
D. Volunteers shall receive training at the section/unit level in those duties identified by the written guidelines for their position.
III. POLICE DIVISION EMPLOYEES
A. The Commander, Personnel shall ensure that duties performed will not result in duties similar to those for which the individual is employed.
B. The Commander, Personnel (or designee) will complete necessary questionnaires and information sheets to determine whether or not the duties will result in compensation being required, for any specific class of employees, under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
C. Upon making this review, the Commander, Personnel will advise the individual needing the volunteers, of any class which is deemed to be unable to volunteer or of any specific duties
that may result in compensation being required if performed by a certain class of employees.
D. The Commander, Personnel may authorize volunteer duties for one time needs or for long time needs, depending on the activity in which the employee will be participating.
IV. NON-POLICE DIVISION EMPLOYEES.
A. Any request for volunteers who are not Police Division employees shall be made in writing to the Community Engagement Coordinator.
B. All requests shall include:
1. A job description of duties that will be performed;
2. Duty hours for which the volunteer is needed; and
3. Specific skills required to perform the duties.
C. The Commander, Personnel will ensure that an appropriate background investigation is completed on individuals selected to fill volunteer positions and that all appropriate Division and County policies, as well as Unit procedures, have been met.
V. REPORTING
A. Each Division volunteer shall forward a completed Volunteer Monthly Time Log (HCPD325) describing the amount and nature of service rendered to the appropriate section point of contact, who shall then forward it to the Community Engagement Coordinator by the fifth day of each month.
B. The Community Engagement Coordinator shall be responsible for compiling the total number of volunteer hours rendered and for reporting those hours to the County Volunteer Services Coordinator by the tenth day of each month.
VI. SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Division members who have volunteers assigned to their units will have the following responsibilities:
A. Ensure unit-specific orientation and training are completed at the unit level. Send documentation pertinent for each unit verifying completion of orientation to the Community Engagement Coordinator.
B. Ensure HCPD-325s are signed off and turned into the Community Engagement Coordinator by the 5th of each month.
C. Complete the County’s “Volunteer Performance Evaluation” form during their initial 6 months of service, as well as annual evaluations of all other volunteers by June 1st of each year. Evaluations shall be submitted to the Community Engagement Coordinator.
D. Notify the Community Engagement Coordinator of any conduct that is inconsistent with the Volunteer Manual.
E. Conduct coaching sessions with any volunteer who is performing outside of the County Policies and Procedures on the Coaching/Counseling form (HCPD-068). The form shall be retained at the unit level. A copy of the form shall be sent to the Community Engagement Coordinator to be kept in the volunteer’s file.
F. Report any inactivity of the volunteer’s service in excess of 1 month to the Community Engagement Coordinator.
G. Make notification to the Community Engagement Coordinator when a volunteer chooses to separate from the Division.
VII. VOLUNTEER DISMISSAL
A. A volunteer may be dismissed for the following:
1. Failure to report when scheduled;
2. Inappropriate behavior;
3. Misuse of County property;
4. Violation of confidentiality/client’s rights by inappropriately storing, disclosing, or releasing confidential information or any reason as defined for permanent employees in section 9.2 of the County’s Policies and Procedures; and/or
5. A volunteer may be dismissed without cause.
B. Procedure for Involuntary Separation
- A Division member who is responsible for volunteers assigned to their unit should contact the Community Engagement Coordinator when a volunteer is not in compliance with County policies or expectations and/or they believe the volunteer should be dismissed from the volunteer program.
2. The Community Engagement Coordinator will consult with the Commanding Officer, Community Services as well as the Department of Public Relations and the Employee Relations Division of Human Resources to determine if dismissal is appropriate.
3. If the decision is made to dismiss the volunteer, this will be communicated to the Community Engagement Coordinator and the Commander, Community Policing.
4. The member responsible for the volunteer shall make arrangements to collect the volunteer’s Division-issued equipment from the volunteer at the time of dismissal.
5. This member shall take all volunteer-issued equipment to Logistics to update Division inventory.
6. The member shall turn in the volunteer’s Division-issued identification and access card to Police Personnel, who will contact Inspections for deactivation.
C. Procedure for Voluntary Separation
1. Volunteers should provide two weeks’ notice to the Community Engagement Coordinator should they wish to separate from the Division.
2. The Community Engagement Coordinator will schedule an exit interview with the volunteer prior to their last day of service.
3. The member responsible for the volunteer shall make arrangements to collect the volunteer’s Division-issued equipment from the volunteer at the time of separation.
4. This member shall take all volunteer-issued equipment to Logistics to update Division inventory.
6. The member shall turn in the volunteer’s Division-issued identification and access card to Police Personnel, who will contact Inspections for deactivation.
