Police Volunteers Honored, One With Three Decades of Service

The Pasadena Police Department honored its volunteer corps at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at Brookside Golf Course, recognizing people whose service ranges from one year to several decades, according to the City of Pasadena.

The evening’s highest honor went to Otis Triplett, a 30-year department volunteer and an original member of the Community Assisting Pasadena Police program, known by his call sign “854.” Chief Gene Harris presented the award.

“Our volunteers serve an indispensable purpose for the department,” Harris said.

Volunteers who serve a California public agency are not automatically covered by workers’ compensation. Labor Code section 3363.5 provides that a person performing voluntary service without pay for a public agency is deemed an employee of that agency for workers’ compensation purposes only after its governing body adopts a resolution saying so. The statute treats reimbursement for meals, transportation, lodging or incidental expenses as still unpaid, so those payments alone do not change a volunteer’s status.

Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland put the national value of an hour of volunteer time at $36.14 in an April 21 announcement, a 3.9% increase over the prior year. The figure comes from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for production and non-supervisory workers on private non-farm payrolls, plus an estimate for fringe benefits. Charitable organizations and corporations use it to put a dollar figure on donated time.

The department has been rebuilding its paid ranks at the same time. Its Employment Services Unit hired five lateral sworn officers, seven police trainees, three park safety officers and 18 professional staff in the period covered by the city’s most recent police budget narrative, which describes recruitment as challenging for law enforcement nationwide.

The Volunteer Services Section supports the department in the field and at headquarters and assists with special events and programs as an extension of its community policing approach, according to the city. Officer Eric Riddle is the department’s volunteer coordinator.

Department information is posted at https://www.cityofpasadena.net/police/, and the department posts on Instagram at @pasadenapd.