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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ex-Cascade Christian coach convicted of sexual abuse ... All of Highway 230 closed because of wildfires ... Crater High class of 1960 to hold reunion Aug. 28-30 ... Ex-Cascade Christian coach convicted of sexual abuse ... All of Highway 230 closed because of wildfires ... Crater High class of 1960 to hold reunion Aug. 28-30 ... Josephine County sheriff is recruiting volunteers Comment By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 4:38 PM By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 4:38 PM » Social News Volunteers will soon assume limited patrol duties for the Josephine County Sheriff's Office. The unarmed volunteers will drive marked patrol cars with some notable alterations: The lights on the top are amber-colored, and the word "volunteer" is printed in large lettering on the front. They'll conduct routine patrols, do home checks for residents who are out of town, check on abandoned cars, hand out stickers to children and generally keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Part of the idea is to let residents know that "their sheriff's office cares," Sheriff Dave Daniel said. They won't respond to any crimes in progress, and if a crime occurs in their presence, they'll be trained to call in a deputy. Two cars will be made available for the volunteers; one will be based at the Cave Junction substation and the other will be based in Grants Pass at the sheriff's headquarters on F Street behind Walmart. Depending on how many volunteers sign up, the Sheriff's Office could have volunteer patrols during most of its current operating hours — 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Daniel said he's set aside $10,000 of his budget to pay for gas, car maintenance and other program costs. The volunteers will receive training in CPR, traffic control, radio systems and other topics. Anyone interested in participating can apply by visiting the sheriff's headquarters at the jail or either of the substations, in Merlin or Cave Junction. "We're welcoming volunteers. We would love to have them," Daniel said. This isn't a new program; Daniel said the Sheriff's Office used to have a similar one in place years ago. The Sheriff's Office currently uses volunteers to boost courthouse security, staff substations and perform other functions. The volunteer patrol program is expected to start in the next month or so, Daniel said. The sheriff said he has no plans to pursue a program that would allow non-sworn citizen volunteers to process property crime scenes — an unusual proposal Daniel's predecessor Gil Gilbertson had been working to implement. "To my dismay, that program has been suspended until further notice," he said Wednesday. There were too many complications, including concerns on the part of the district attorney's office about how well evidence collected by the volunteers would stand up in court, he said. Volunteer CSI teams would also need to be accompanied by deputies when visiting crime scenes, and there just isn't enough manpower to do that, Daniel said. "We are only investigating select property crimes right now," Daniel said. "That being the case, there's no way to attach a deputy to those teams that would go out and do that." By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 13, 2015 at 4:38 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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