By Greg Ford

Staff Writer

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What makes someone want to be a volunteer, and with their local police department?

In Jeron Williamson’s case, he always was interested in such work, while for Carrie McCurdie it was an opportunity to continue assisting pubic servants.

Now, each are part of Sachse’s 15-person Volunteer in Police Service program (VIPS), which began several months ago. It was created to allow residents a chance to offer their services to the police department, whether that is out in the field (11 currently) or in the office setting (four).

“They’re very effective. I know in-house they have helped our dispatch (get organized),” said Sgt. James Willis. “In the field, I have had several people come up and say it’s awesome seeing them out. It’s definitely noticeable, and from the volunteer standpoint, everybody really likes it so far.”

Currently, VIPS contain a diverse set of individuals, including a retired police officer and a flight attendant, Willis noted.

For the full story see the Aug. 31 issue or subscribe online.