Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS)

SPD is proud to announce the unveiling of our new volunteer program – Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS)! Programs like these have shown great success across the country and we are committed to ensuring that this program is an asset to the Springfield Community.

Interested in learning more about the VIPS? Read below to see what these volunteers will and won’t do in their role. Interested in joining the program? Click here to apply!

VIPS Will Not:

• Make contact with suspicious individuals or those suspected of committing a crime

• Detain community members or assist in police action

• Write tickets or citations

VIPS Will:

• Build and establish relationships with area businesses

• Identify graffiti for abatement

• Hand out flyers for upcoming SPD & community events

• Handout resource cards for community members in need

• Assist business owners in the trespass process 

• Log areas of concern for officers

VIPS will always ‘patrol’ in groups of two and wear bright yellow jackets labeled ‘SPD Volunteer’ so that they are easily identifiable. VIPS will begin outreach in the Downtown area with hopes to expand in the future! 

So if you see VIPS out and about, be sure to stop and chat with them and learn more about why they’ve decided to volunteer in service to our community!