Sheriff Seabolt initiated the volunteer program to give qualified, experienced and highly trained citizens with a heart for service to others, the opportunity to assist in different areas of the Sheriff's Office. Volunteers assist deputies with time consuming administrative duties that had previously fallen to the wayside. These duties include, but are not limited to, data entry, inventory control, fleet maintenance and cold case review. Each volunteer must pass a background check and screening process. The volunteers are required to attend the Citizens Academy that explains the operations of each division of the Sheriff’s Office. During the academy, volunteers can determine where their skills, knowledge, training and experience can best be utilized.
Many of our volunteers are former law enforcement officers who have retired from other departments. Many of these volunteers have vast experience in law enforcement and others have vast experience in commercial or private industry.
VSO Collins is a retired investigator from the State of New York and is assigned to cold case review. He reviews unsolved, historic cases to determine if additional interviews should be conducted by detectives or evidence needs to be re-submitted for processing. Administrative case reviews are time consuming and tedious, akin to finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. While VSO Collins spends countless hours combing through cold cases, Detectives are able to continue working current active cases.
VSO Kauffman, a former Chief of Police from Pennsylvania and trained EMT, oversees the Mobile Command Post, a 45 foot, custom built bus purchased in 2016 by former Sheriff Maynard Reid. VSO Kauffman schedules and delivers the bus for maintenance and repairs; cleans and washes the bus; keeps it stocked for emergency deployments; responds day or night to drive for emergency deployments. He spends a great deal of time weekly, caring for an maintaining the specialty vehicle which allows other fleet maintenance staff to focus on maintaining over 200 other fleet vehicles.
VSO Lewallen, also a reserve deputy and former Ramseur Chief of Police, volunteers at fleet maintenance. He assists with vehicle police equipment repairs, such as radio and blue light malfunctions. He also fills in when other fleet maintenance staff are on vacation, performing vehicle maintenance. He oversees all Sheriff’s Office track cars used at the Community College for in-service driver’s training, conducting routine inspections on the vehicles, scheduling and delivering them for maintenance and repairs.
VSO Rhodes, a retired airline transport pilot from California, who was also an instrument flight instructor for airplanes and helicopters, an airframe/power plant mechanic and is a FCC ham radio operator, is assigned to radio inventory and control. He repairs radios in-house when feasible; maintains an inventory of handheld and in-car radios for the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center; facilitates radio software updates for technology changes; researches and recommends radio upgrades that are efficient and cost-effective. In addition, VSO Rhodes troubleshoots electrical problems on vehicle police equipment that prevents costly outside vendor repairs and maintains all vehicle equipment and parts warranty records to ensure the Sheriff's Office doesn’t pay for repairs that are covered under existing warranties.
VSO Dorsett, retired information technology supervisor from the private industry, is assigned to the Records Division. He assists with data entry and converting the Records Division to paperless systems.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Service Officers spend countless hours of their time supplementing the services provided to the citizens. They graciously share their training, experience and knowledge giving back to their community and have proven to be valuable assets to and members of the Sheriff’s Office team. Their selfless contributions make the Sheriff’s Office more efficient and effective.
For more information about the program and how to apply as a Volunteer Service Officer, click here.