Volunteering
Community Volunteer Program
Because civilian volunteers serve as a valuable resource in emergencies and in supplementing day-to-day operations of the Sheriff's Office, it is Sheriff's Office policy to use them in non-tactical law enforcement related support services. Volunteer service is rendered out of a spirit of community pride and teamwork by helping Sheriff's Office employees in providing quality law enforcement service.
If you wish to assist the Sheriff's Office as a volunteer, you must first complete an application. As part of the application process, you will be fingerprinted, photographed, and asked to furnish driver's license information. You must successfully pass a background records investigation which includes local, state, and Federal criminal history; driver's license, and Computerized Voice Stress Analysis. The Federal criminal history investigation includes a fingerprint check with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. Once the background check is completed and you are approved, we will assist you with placement consistent with your background and desires, and needs of the Sheriff's Office. Once placed, you'll work under the supervision of the supervisor or manager of the area to which you have been assigned.
You can volunteer your time in an assistance/support role in various departments within the Sheriff's Office. With a few exceptions (Reserve Deputy, Citizens on Patrol, Parking Enforcement Specialist, Volunteer Search Team, Traffic Crash Investigator, Process Server, and Chaplain Corps), no specialized training is required. Otherwise, civilian volunteers are trained in those areas in which they will be asked to assist prior to assuming duties in those areas. Civilian volunteers are assigned to non-tactical law enforcement support services.
In order to be a more effective member of the Sheriff's Office, a complete understanding on how each element within the agency and how the agency functions as a whole is required. For that reason, you must complete the 15 week Volunteer applications are provided during the sixth week of the Academy.
Once you complete the Academy, you may be eligible to assist in Special Investigations, Special Projects, Property Recovery, Secretarial/Reception Assistants, and Citizens on Patrol, If you would like to assist in victim contact with persons 55 or older who have been victimized in a non-violent crime, you may want to join our Elder Services or Victim Advocate Units.
Special Investigations/Special Projects/Property Recovery
Cross reference FCIC/NCIC, Seminole County, and local records to obtain complete histories and enter information into local and web-based computer data bases. May involve coordination with law enforcement agencies throughout North and Latin America and Germany.Victim Advocates
Respond to scenes where an advocate is requested by law enforcement personnel, provide crisis intervention, assess needs of the victim and refer to appropriate resources available, in addition to providing information on victim's crime compensation.Clerical Assistants
File, prepare items for mailing and search records for information.Secretarial/Reception Assistants
Perform secretarial and reception functions in Sheriff's Office Headquarters or in Community Service Centers when needed.Other Sheriff's Office Volunteer Opportunities
Chaplain Corps:
The Chaplain Corps consists of ordained members of our religious community. Some of the services our chaplains provide include conducting or assisting in memorial services, acting as liaisons to provide assistance wherever needed for bereaved families, and visiting with hospitalized employees or family members.Reserve Deputies:
Reserve Deputy Sheriffs are also an important part of Seminole Neighborhood Policing. Reserve deputies, who undergo training as mandated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Standards and Training Division, must also undergo the same field training as full-time deputies.Our reserve deputies are instrumental in providing security from the Sheriff's Office for the Salvation Army Family Focus Program, which oversees court-ordered supervised visitation in domestic cases. The responsibility for this program is shared by the Sheriff's Office and the police departments of each of the seven (7) municipalities in the county.
In addition to routine patrolling and law enforcement duties, reserve deputies are often called upon to assist with securing crime scenes pending completion of an investigation. This assistance is invaluable as it enables full-time deputies to resume their patrol duties and maintain a safe community. Our reserve deputies also assist with annual events such as National Night Out, the Heathrow Art Festival and the Salvation Army Adopt-a-Kettle bell-ringing program.
