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 The Citizen Volunteer Corps was created on March
1, 2011 in order to reorganize and expand the current pool
of volunteers within the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
In an effort to better serve the community and
provide much needed resources to the Sheriff’s workforce,
the Citizen Volunteer Corps began as a
supplemental force to the existing services of the
agency. With the
creation of this program, the sheriff’s office is better
able to make use of the volunteer services that have defined
our agency through many different functions.
The Citizen Volunteer Corps is divided into two
different categories or “units”:
The first category of the Citizen Volunteer
Corps is the
Administrative Volunteer Unit (AVU).
The Administrative Volunteer Unit
provides the majority of volunteer services that
are utilized by the agency.
Many of our AVU volunteers provide
services such as filing, print copying,
fingerprinting, recordkeeping, and daily
administrative assistance.
These valuable individuals are placed in
the Intern/Clerical classification of the AVU.
The second classification of the AVU
falls under a programs classification.
The programs classification encompasses
several specific functions of the Sheriff’s
Office where individuals with specialty skills
are able to donate their time.
Examples of these functions are the
Sheriff’s Office Youth Explorer Program,
training, chaplain services, public speaking
events, crime prevention, and the Civilian
Mounted Unit.
Click
here
to download a printable application for the
Administrative Volunteer Unit.
The second category of the Citizen Volunteer Corps is the
Public Service Aide Unit
(PSA). The
Public Service Aide unit is a program that embodies the
community policing concept of building partnerships with the
community. The
PSA unit is an exceptional volunteer opportunity that
provides a higher level of training and deep sense of
satisfaction due to its extensive nature of service.
PSA’s serve in the field by handling minor calls for
service from citizens and by assisting patrol deputies in
non-emergency cases.
The PSA is an invaluable resource for the patrol
division where it allows deputies to be available for higher
priority and emergency calls for service.
The selection process for the PSA program begins with a
full application and background process which includes a
personal interview prior to selection.
After selection, the PSA trainee will complete a
Public Service Aide academy provided by the agency.
Upon completion of the academy, the trainee will
enter the field training stage where he/she will be trained
and supervised by a Public Service Technician.
In the field training phases, the trainee will learn
how to perform tasks and answer calls for service such as:
abandoned vehicles, attempts to contact, criminal
mischief, found property, illegally parked vehicles, minor
parking lot crashes, minor theft, and traffic control to
name a few.
Applicants for Public Service Aide must meet all the
criteria set forth by agency policy.
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