What is known and not known about volunteer policing in the United States

Abstract

Volunteer police have always been a part of policing, and currently field approximately 20% of the numbers of full-time paid officers in the United States. Given this long history and significant participation, it is surprising how little is known about this aspect of policing. This article reviews what is known about modern volunteer police in the United States, then explores what is not known. The implications for future research include a discussion of what researchers “need to know” and “should know” in order to have valuable evidence to guide evidence-based decision making for relevant stakeholders and policy-makers.

Voluntary policing in Sweden: media reports of contemporary forms of police–citizen partnerships

“…Both internationally and in Sweden, the question of citizen (non-professional/public) participation in policing and the formation of civic partnerships with the police is understudied, with further research called for (e.g. Bullock, 2017;Dobrin & Wolf, 2016). More research is needed about the relationship between the police and the public (although see Sharp, Atherton, & Williams, 2008;Williams, 2005) and the regulation of citizen participation (see, e.g.…”

Scrutinising the appeal of volunteer Community Speedwatch to policing leaders in England and Wales: Resources, responsivity and responsibilisation

“…There are, it seems, three motivations for increasing the participation of volunteers in the shaping and delivery of policing policy and practice. The challenging economic climate faced by a number of police forces globally mean volunteers are a resource of labour and expertise that can be usefully deployed to supplement and bolster capacity (Dobrin and Wolf, 2016). At a time when the need for police forces to maintain legitimacy and accountability has never been better understood, the public are an audience to be engaged and a community whose trust needs to be won -and enhancing opportunities for active community participation supports this (Slanksy, 2008).…”

“…In a small but evolving body of literature in both the UK and US there is growing evidence of the increasingly diverse, innovative and formalised ways volunteers are being deployed. Dobrin and Wolf (2016) highlight how in the US volunteers are utilised to supplement full-time staff for special events and emergencies, but also for participation in specialised roles as marine, narcotics, warrant and dedicated community policing forms. Millie (2018) explores how the introduction of police powers for volunteers under the Police and Crime Act 2017 has impacted upon community policing capabilities in the UK context.…”

Fire police: A statutory comparison of the operational nexus between law enforcement and the fire service in six states

“…As a typology, volunteer police are volunteer positions that maintain some variation of law enforcement powers. They are employed primarily to augment existing emergency services even though there is great variation in the ways in which these volunteers are utilized by their respective police agencies (Dobrin and Wolf, 2016). However, the most observed responsibility of many volunteer police is augmenting patrol functions.…”