Code Blue

What is Citizens on Patrol (COPs)?

Citizens on Patrol acts as \”eyes and ears\” for the police department Lake Como.

Private citizens volunteer time to actively patrol in order to observe and report suspicious and/or criminal activities to the appropriate authorities. Its primary purpose is to help reduce crime through cooperation with the police department.

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How does COPS benefit our neighborhood?
Increased security of homes and property, increased code enforcement, and increased neighborhood involvement deter crime in Lake Como. These patrols provide a visible presence of police authority which helps decrease criminal activities. COPS also develops a relationship between the police and the community which aids in prompt police response. This safety and security from crime helps to make Lake Como a better place to live.

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Does COPS reduce crime?
Since it’s inception, COPS has contributed to a reduction in crime. Other areas that are not active are seeing crime figures rise. The more active the patrols are, the more crime stats have been reduced. The goal of Lake Como COPS is to have 24 hour patrols, seven days a week – but it takes volunteers. And the more volunteers we have, the fewer hours are required by each person to fill that time. Our neighborhood police officers (NPO’s) routinely patrol with our citizen patrols, which greatly reduces police response time from minutes to seconds. Our NPO’s also monitor all crime in Lake Como to help target specific areas of concern. As a result, COPS know the best times to patrol, and which types of behaviors to look for the most. COPS can then educate residents to better prevent crime.

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How much time do I need to commit to COPS?
Only the amount of time you want! (After the initial 8-hour training class and required ride-ins). Citizens are needed to patrol the neighborhood, man the base station or assist with paperwork, and various other tasks. If you’re interested in donating time each month, we will gladly keep you busy. What sort of patrolling is done? Most people drive the neighborhood in their own vehicles with appropriate COPS identification on magnetic signs attached to the vehicle, or they ride as a partner with another patroller. 

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What if I want to help, but am not interested in patrolling?
We need help recording statistics, data entry, other office work such as filing and updating calendars, and base operators. Base operators keep in touch with all patrollers from the base at NPD#8, and simply record any observations made by them, and make appropriate calls for assistance of police and others as necessary. Contact a Fairmount COPS Coordinator to do a test-ride-in.