By Joanna Putman
Police1
Amid a shortage of law enforcement officers that began during and directly after the COVID-19 pandemic, several agencies across the country adopted teams of civilians trained to perform some law enforcement functions.
These teams take different names and roles depending on an agency’s needs and values. Primary duties of “community service officers” (a.k.a. “community ambassadors” or “civilian investigators,” etc.) include assisting in crash or petty crime investigations, serving as visible representations of a police force in high-crime areas and even escorting college students travelling across campus by night.
Here’s a roundup of some of the ways law enforcement agencies throughout the country are utilizing civilian officer teams.
Austin Police Department
Austin’s police understaffing has made patrolling the downtown area challenging, prompting the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) to create a safety team to address the gap, KUT reported.
Launched in May, the nonprofit tripled the team’s size to 14 members as of July and hopes to reach 23 in October.
The DAA safety team, easily recognizable by their black and yellow uniforms, is not comprised of police officers but works closely with the Austin Police Department.
“You’ll see them riding throughout the public improvement district on bikes and generally in pairs, one on either side of the street,” said Brandon Fahy, DAA’s director of Public Space Experience.
Focused on low-level violations, like public intoxication, team members primarily ask violators to comply with city ordinances. If individuals do not comply, the team calls APD officers working overtime downtown, funded by the DAA.
APD Commander Craig Smith noted that 23% of downtown police positions remain vacant, contributing to the department’s 351 officer vacancies overall, according to the report. This shortage has limited APD’s ability to respond to Class C misdemeanors.
The DAA safety team plans to expand to 23 members by October, continuing its efforts to address quality-of-life issues downtown.
Honolulu Police Department
The city of Honolulu launched a new late-night safety initiative in the Waikiki Business Improvement District to help address crime and support the understaffed Honolulu Police Department, the Honolulu Civil Beat reported.
Beginning in July, a team of three Aloha Ambassadors patrolled Waikiki from 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., focusing on Kuhio Beach, which is considered a high-crime area, according to the report.
The Aloha Ambassadors, a familiar presence in Waikiki for the past 20 years, traditionally work during the day to assist tourists and keep the area clean. This new initiative marks the first time the team will patrol at night, using a $250,000 city grant to fund the yearlong pilot project, according to the report.
Two of the ambassadors will focus on safety, while a third will offer outreach services to homeless individuals, encouraging them to seek shelter and comply with park closure rules.
“We welcome the extra set of eyes and ears,” HPD Maj. James Slayter said.
The program complements HPD’s efforts in Waikiki, where staffing shortages persist, with 400 vacant officer positions citywide, according to the report.
Gastonia Police Department
The Gastonia Police Department introduced a Civilian Crash Investigator program designed to handle non-injury crashes in September, allowing regular-duty officers to focus on more urgent tasks, WBTV reported.
The program, which began on Aug. 27, assigns civilian investigators to document accident scenes, take reports and gather witness statements, according to the report.
“I do the same thing that a police officer would do as far as the crash report goes and everything,” said Jeff Johnson, the city’s first civilian crash investigator. “I just--I don’t issue citations, and I don’t arrest anybody.”
In 2023, Gastonia Police responded to nearly 4,800 crashes, with over 86% involving no injuries, according to the report.
“These investigators will be an invaluable asset, freeing up sworn personnel, allowing them to focus on high-volume complaint areas within the city,” Traffic Sgt. Joe Bain told WBTV.
Gastonia Police Chief Trent Conard called the program “a good investment” that allows officers to engage in proactive policing. Civilian investigators will only handle crashes involving property damage, leaving more complex incidents to sworn officers, according to the report.
D.C. Metro Police Department
The D.C. Police Department launched its Community Safety Ambassador program, aimed at supplementing police efforts by allowing civilians to handle non-emergency situations, NBC4 Washington reported.
“Things that we really believe that we can train civilians, right, these community safety ambassadors, to respond to so that we can really free up sworn officers for the type of policing work that our community expects and needs from them,” Lindsay Appiah, D.C.’s deputy mayor for public safety, told NBC4 in April when the program launched.
The ambassadors, who are unarmed and without badges, are currently in training at the D.C. Police Academy.
“I want to be a part of the change that bridges the police to the community,” Davina Carson, one of the Community Ambassadors, said.
Once fully operational, the program will involve 40 Community Safety Ambassadors, four supervisors and 20 patrol vehicles, according to the report.
University of Georgia
As students return to the University of Georgia for the 2024 fall semester, they encountered new security measures, including public safety infrastructure improvements and a new unit of Campus Safety Ambassadors, UGA Today reported.
These non-police personnel will patrol campus during evening hours, escort students to housing and serve as extra “eyes and ears” across campus, according to the report. The ambassadors are equipped with radios to contact police in case of emergencies.
Funding for the new team is part of a permanent 20% rise in the UGA Police Department’s budget, which will enable the department to bolster its recruitment and retention efforts and increase campus safety personnel, according to the report.
“There is no higher priority at the University of Georgia than the safety and security of our campus community,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead.
