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Elmore County Citizen On Patrol

Citizen On Patrol for Elmore County started in April 2006 and was the first county in Idaho to have them. Along with the regular duties, the county C.O.P. have assisted with traffic control on the interstate, traffic control with cattle and sheep drives (usually about twice a year) and shifts assisting at the county jail.

The County C.O.P. started with 13 members and now has 28. Their goal is to have and maintain a membership of 30. They patrol in Elmore County and the City of Glenns Ferry.

The Elmore County C.O.P. meet the first Monday of each month to keep updated with training and information.

If you would like more information or wish to become involved, contact Leon Sanford at 208-580-1927.

Citizen On Patrol (C.O.P.) is the generic name used by many to describe a unique and special group of Law Enforcement Volunteers. As the name implies, Citizen On Patrol are citizens who, after being screened, background checked, and trained by their local law enforcement agency, patrol their communities acting as “Eyes and Ears” for law enforcement.

Citizen Patrol groups have been in use within the United States for over 20 years. The number of individual Citizen Patrol Volunteers within the United States is estimated to be over 75,000 with groups in every state of the nation. While no standard exists for what C.O.P. groups can or cannot do, there are some common themes which are shared among most groups. In addition to wearing identifiable uniforms and driving in marked patrol cars, the most common thread is acting as “Eyes and Ears” for law enforcement.

By patrolling their community on a regular basis, usually in 4-8 hour shifts, Citizen Patrol Volunteers become more familiar with their community and are better able to recognize “suspicious” activity and notify the authorities. Due to their focused patrol activity, it is not uncommon for C.O.P. to observe crimes in progress. They are not authorized to carry weapons and are encouraged to avoid physical contact. Their greatest weapon is their established bond with local law enforcement and their ability to communicate directly with them by radio or cellular phones using special dedicated phone numbers.

Other common duties performed by Citizen Patrol groups is traffic control at accident scenes, special events, crime scenes, fire, in addition to focused patrols in high crime areas for deterrence. By utilizing C.O.P. groups for such basic yet needed tasks, Police and Sheriffs are able to spend more time on patrol and focus on their primary mission. Another benefit to communities and law enforcement agencies is cost savings. It is not uncommon for an average size Citizen Patrol group to provide a budget savings of several hundred thousand dollars a year by performing these duties.

Properly implemented, Citizen Patrol groups have proven to be an excellent complement to law enforcement agencies.

ELMORE COUNTY