The Hemet Police Department is proud to announce the graduation of its 39th Basic Volunteer Academy. On October 24th, twenty five (25) Hemet area residents completed their initial six weeks of training. From there, they will be assigned to veteran volunteers for further training and assignments.
Graduating with the group was Hemet Police Department’s first two college interns; Hailey Regnier and Jessica Shores. Hailey and Jessica are students at Mt San Jacinto College and are completing an internship at Hemet Police Department for college credits and work study experience.
Following this graduation, the Hemet Police Department Volunteer Force will be nearly 90 strong. The program was started in 1993 under then-police Chief Milton ‘Lee’ Evanson and Sergeant Charles Steadman (ret). Hemet residents, Leonard and Donna Mae Powell, who were in attendance tonight, were in the first Volunteer Academy in 1993. They continue to volunteer to this day.
This class was sworn in by Chief of Police David Brown in front of approximately 100 family members, friends, and veteran volunteers at the YMCA in Hemet; where all of this initial training took place. A partnership was formed with the YMCA last year. The YMCA currently runs the former Simpson Center following the transfer from City of Hemet to the YMCA in 2010.
On any given day or night, Hemet Police Volunteers can be seen assisting citizens at Hemet PD’s three stations, speaking to civic groups, patrolling neighborhoods, shopping centers & parks, starting Neighborhood Watch programs, performing traffic control at collisions and during natural disasters, babysitting lost children, helping Alzheimers patients, and they have become staples at such events as The Ramona Play, Hemet’s Annual Christmas Parade, Harvest Festival, Veterans Day Celebration, and much, much more.
The Hemet City Council, as well as Police Department Employees, have long recognized our volunteers for their endless dedication to the community. If you would like information on becoming a Hemet Police Department Volunteer, please stop by any of the three stations, by calling Sergeant Nate Miller at 951 765-2406, or via e-mail: nmiller@cityofhemet.org
West Station Main Station East Station
3663 W. Florida Ave 450 E. Latham Ave 1985 E. Florida Ave
951 766-7463 951 765-2401 951 765-2415