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The Wheeling Police Department recently added a new class of Neighborhood Assistant Volunteers to its ranks.
NAVs are volunteers from the community who help police with traffic control and patrols via their own special cruiser and on foot.
Wheeling Police Department Lt. Josh Sanders said the NAV program began about 11 years ago and was born from the department’s Citizens Police Academy. All NAVs must attend the academy classes first. There currently are 20 active NAVs, with six of them being from the original volunteer group.
Sanders said the NAVs have proved to be invaluable to the department, as they help free up officers to do more police work and respond to calls. He noted the program was conceived as a form of community outreach as the volunteers could easily talk to their fellow residents. They also help during festivals and other events.
While they do receive training, the volunteers do not carry guns and cannot arrest people.
“They’re not allowed to interact with a suspect or a victim unless told to do so by an officer,” Sanders said.
Sanders said even with the COVID-19 pandemic still occurring the NAVs logged 642 hours of work last year. In the past they have clocked close to 2,000 hours of work in a year, which equated to about the cost of one police officer's salary, he said. He estimated this year the NAVs will work at least 1,000 hours.
"There is no value you can put on these folks and the work they do," he said.
The NAVs work helps take the pressure off officers to overwork themselves, and "they love being here," he added.
Their training includes 12 hours of classroom time, along with guidance regarding traffic rules and safety, basic patrolling, types of emergency calls, departmental policies and personal safety. They also conduct ride-alongs with officers before doing patrols themselves.
The latest graduating NAV class consisted of Kim Emery, Carla Vessels, Susan Simpson, Kathy Bonenberger, Catherine Coleman and Jason Coleman. Sanders said the department tried a couple times to conduct NAV classes during the pandemic but it didn't work out. This latest class had been waiting since about 2019 for their full classes, training and graduation to occur.
Other graduating classes came in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015.
NAVs must be at least 18 years old. There is no top age limit, but people must be able to drive a car safely and be able to walk patrols during events. Those who have some physical limitations may be assigned other duties that are safer for them.
The NAVs are assigned their own vehicle, equipment and uniform while volunteering.