A former mortgage broker, Bill Wisdom now spends his days in crime prevention. He’s one of more than 100 volunteers in the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Team of Active Retirees (S.T.A.R.)  program, which serves as an auxiliary arm of the sheriff’s office to help patrol the community, provide public assistance and keep neighborhoods safe. “We don’t do actual law enforcement—that’s the job of the sheriff’s deputies, but we serve as additional eyes and ears for the sheriff’s office,” Wisdom says. “We patrol the community, provide a visible police presence, and if we see something that requires law enforcement intervention, we call it in.”

Launched in 1994, S.T.A.R. was modeled after similar programs around the country that have repeatedly shown the value they bring to communities, primarily in helping law enforcement agencies save money and be more efficient.

 A typical day for a S.T.A.R. volunteer could involve several “vacation checks,” wherein homeowners have asked the sheriff’s office to check on their properties while they‘re away. While on patrol, volunteers also drive through school parking lots, patrol shopping areas of neighborhoods that have requested a more visible police presence, assist motorists, and provide traffic and crowd control for public events or emergency scenarios.   

All added up, it’s a lot of time and money the sheriff’s office can devote to responding to calls for help and conducting investigations. Last year alone, S.T.A.R. volunteers provided more than 26,000 man-hours, saving the department more than $800,000. “This is an incredible example of teamwork,” says Sheriff Lieutenant Jim Byers. “The S.T.A.R. program has become a critical daily function of the [El Dorado County] Sheriff’s Office.”

S.T.A.R. volunteers don’t all have to go on patrol either; many assist with office duties, help with filing, sign off on “fix it tickets” and work at events. 

When the program first launched it started with 25 volunteers and has grown steadily ever since. New volunteers are always welcome, and prior law enforcement experience is not compulsory—the only requirements are that volunteers must be at least 50 years of age and willing to volunteer a minimum of 16 hours a month.

There is an application process after which candidates go through a background check. Once accepted, volunteers must go through a two-week S.T.A.R. training academy as well as a “citizens academy,” where they get instruction on radio codes, patrol procedures, traffic control, graffiti abatement, and sheriff’s office policy and procedures. The next academy starts in April, and anyone looking for a way to give back to the community is encouraged to apply. 

“All of us are just so proud when we put that uniform on, and the level of respect and gratitude we get from the community for the work we do is immeasurable,” Wisdom says. “It’s amazing what you can get out of this program; you really are doing something great for the community.”

By Bill Romanelli // Photos by Dante Fontana © Style Media Group