Elk Grove City Council Honors VIP's

As part of the National Volunteer Week, the Elk Grove City Council honored the Elk Grove Police Department Volunteers In Police Services, or VIP's program at last night's regular meeting.

VIP's is a volunteer program that offers assistance to both the police departments and the public in a variety of ways.

Presenting the proclamation was council member Gary Davis who praised the work VIP's do on behalf of the city. "What you all do is invaluable and the City of Elk Grove appreciates it," Davis said.

According to the Elk Grove Police, in 2008 VIP's volunteers donated a total of 11,464 hours of service to the department. They documented 2,142 crime reports and assisted over 8,939 individuals at the front counter, removed 6,806 illegal signs, returned 679 abandoned carts to local businesses and provided security vacation checks to 2,607 residents.

Police Chief Robert Lehner also commended the VIP's for their role in freeing resources so that police officers can more actively engage in law enforcement. "The level of service that the Elk Grove Police Department provides would not be what it is without the volunteers," Lehner said.

Lehner also pointed out the VIP's save the city a tremendous amount of money. "This [program] saves us hundreds of thousand of dollars a year," he said. "That's real money."

Individuals interested in finding about joining the VIP's program can contact volunteer coordinator Jessica Martinez at (916) 478-8107 or via e-mail at jmartinez@elkgrovepd.org