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City of Vancouver, Washington

Police Department

Communicate or Partner with VPD - Neighbors On Watch (NOW) Citizen Volunteer Program

Neighbors On Watch (NOW) Recruiting Additional Volunteers

Citizens in the City of Vancouver that are interested in making their neighborhoods safer are encouraged to apply for the Vancouver Police Department's new volunteer program called "Neighbors On Watch (NOW)." NOW is always accepting applications and holds training academies several times per year. All volunteer applicants must successfully pass a screening process which includes: criminal background investigation, fingerprints, interviews, and reference check.

Keep reading to learn more about NOW.

Neighbors On Watch (NOW) citizen volunteer program

Positive relationships between the police, the community and individual citizens are extremely important and are vital to the success of Community Oriented Policing.  Consequently, citizen volunteer programs are an integral part of the community policing efforts of the Vancouver Police Department.  An especially important aspect of such efforts is the positive impact individual citizens can have on our community’s crime problems and quality of life issues. 

Neighbors On Watch objectives:

• To assist the police department through observation
• To help reduce crime and improve the quality of life in in our neighborhoods
• To foster cooperation between citizens and police officers
• To educate citizens on crime prevention
• To create a high visibility, public presence in the neighborhoods
• To unite residents for a dedicated reason
• To increase crime awareness among the citizens of the neighborhoods
• To help make law enforcement more effective and productive
• To provide a safe, secure environment for all neighborhood residents
• To make a difference in your community

What do I need to do to be a NOW volunteer?

• Contact the Vancouver Police Department and complete an application
• Be over 21-years old and pass a background check
• Attend a 24 hour training academy
• Volunteer at least four hours per month
• Coordinate with other volunteers to patrol your neighborhood!

The Vancouver Police Department is in the process of buiding our citizen volunteer program called Neighbors On Watch, or NOW.  If you have an interest in getting involved please contact Volunteer Coordinator Kelly Mott at (360) 487-7467.