Sac Sheriff

Volunteer Services

4500 Orange Grove Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95841
916-874-7339
volunteers@sacsheriff.com

Invest Yourself in the Community

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is looking for citizens from within our communities who want to volunteer to work with our law enforcement professionals. Volunteers bring their experiences and skills to enhance the services provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Volunteer Program consists of different volunteer groups with specific roles that complement the work of the Sheriff’s Office. These volunteer groups include:

Sheriff's Amateur Radio Program (SHARP)

The Sheriff's Amateur Radio Program (SHARP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit formed in 1977 in response to a rash of theft crimes and heightened citizen participation in the apprehension of the East Area Rapist. SHARP is comprised of volunteer amateur radio operators who are licensed by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

The members of SHARP have the responsibility of assisting the Sacramento County Emergency Operations Center with any emergency requiring auxiliary communication. Emergencies include extended power outages, flooding, and other types of disasters that disable land based power supplies where amateur radio specialists can continue to operate.

Applicant Requirements
  • Must be at least 18 years of age
  • Have a valid California driver's license or I.D. Card
  • Possess a clear criminal history
  • Pass a required background investigation
  • Complete the office orientation and all required training
  • Have a good moral character and reputation
  • Must be able to demonstrate good judgment
  • Have the desire to assist your community

Download the Volunteer Application Download the Volunteer Agreement

Sacramento County Sheriff's Explorers

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office Explorer Program is for teenagers and young adults, 14-20 years of age. The program is a well­ rounded P.O.S.T. approved curriculum that prepares the Explorers for a future in law enforcement and other community service-based careers. Explorers receive hands-on training in self-defense tactics, arrest, search and seizure laws, and other Law Enforcement related subjects. Additional life building skills, such as public speaking, resume building, grooming standards, work ethic, and teamwork complete the curriculum.

Explorers perform community services in the greater Sacramento area such as traffic control, security, decoy operations, and fingerprinting.

This program provides youth, interested in a career in Law Enforcement, the opportunity to work side-by-side with Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputies. These deputies work in a variety of assignments including patrol, corrections, traffic, Problem Oriented Policing, and Crime Scene Investigation.

Using the skills they are taught, they are able to successfully compete against other Explorer Programs throughout the state. For more information, contact Lieutenant Shelly Hodgkins at shodgkins@sacsheriff.com.

Volunteer Reserve Officer

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office has a Volunteer Reserve Force of approximately 164 reserve officers, Level III through Level I. Our reserve program is highly regarded in the law enforcement community and is an integral part of our daily operations.

Working alongside regular officers, reserve officers can participate in warrant sweeps, DUI checkpoints, prisoner transportation, boating and water safety programs, academy training, firearms training and other related activities.

Minimum Qualifications
  • Must be 18 years of age.
  • Be a citizen of the United States or a permanent resident alien who is eligible and has applied for citizenship.
  • Possess a valid California Driver's License
  • Graduated from high school or satisfactory completion of an acceptable General Education Development (GED) test.
  • Possess a valid California Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Basic Certificate or valid Modular III, II & I Certificates.
  • Pass a P.O.S.T. Peace Officer background investigation, including a medical and psychological examinations.

If you are interested in more information, you may contact the Reserve Officer Recruiter.

To apply for a Volunteer Reserve Deputy position, mail a completed Reserve Deputy Application Form along with a copy of your POST Certification to:

Attn. Pre-Employment Investigations
Sacramento County Sheriff's Office
4500 Orange Grove Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95841

Volunteers in Partnership with the Sheriff (V.I.P.S.)

Since 1993, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office is proud to have a volunteer work force that helps foster the partnership between the Sheriff's Office and the community in working toward improving the quality of life for the residents of Sacramento County.

Our volunteers are currently assisting in the following programs:

Community Service Center

Volunteers help citizens with neighborhood and law enforcement related issues and questions, crime reports, fingerprinting, safety fairs, and general office assistance.

Volunteer Patrol

Volunteers patrol neighborhoods providing vacation checks, illegal sign abatement, reporting of code enforcement violations, parking violations, and any other directed patrol requests.

Investigations

Volunteers assist with Missing Person follow up and Child Abuse Unit data entry.

Clerical Support

Volunteers are placed in different areas in the Sheriff s Office to provide computer data entry, filing, scanning, organizing, and customer service to citizens and staff.

Applicant Requirements
  • Must be at least 18 years of age
  • Have a valid California driver's license or I.D. Card
  • Possess a clear criminal history
  • Pass a required background investigation
  • Ability to work 16 hours a month (Preferably volunteering 1-2 days a week with a 4-6 hour commitment each volunteer day)
  • Complete the office orientation and all required training
  • Have a good moral character and reputation
  • Must be able to demonstrate good judgment
  • Have the desire to assist your community
Download the Volunteer Application Download the Volunteer Agreement

If you are interested in obtaining more information about volunteer opportunities with the Sheriff's Office, contact us at volunteers@sacsheriff.com.

Search and Rescue

The Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit was started in 1992 and consists of all volunteer members who are registered Disaster Services Workers with the State Office of Emergency Services. The unit has over 50 qualified members that are trained in search management techniques including foot, equestrian, and canine searches. The canine teams are qualified in trailing, tracking, water, and cadaver search.

Unit members are trained in urban, suburban, and rural searches for missing persons. They are also available for evidence and article searches and large animal rescue. The unit plays a regional mutual-aid role in assisting search and rescue efforts with outside jurisdictions. The members are equipped to respond 24 hours a day 7 days a week to department needs.

The Sacramento Sheriff's Office is fortunate to have this dedicated and skilled organization of volunteers working for the safety of the community at large.

Applicant Requirements
  • Must be at least 18 years of age
  • Have a valid California driver's license or I.D. Card
  • Possess a clear criminal history
  • Pass a required background investigation
  • Complete the office orientation and all required training
  • Have a good moral character and reputation
  • Must be able to demonstrate good judgment
  • Have the desire to assist your community

For more information on Sacramento County Sheriff Search and Rescue, please visit their website at:

SACSAR

Contact Us

Emergency

911

Non-Emergency

916-874-5115

TDD Non-Emergency

916-874-7128

Need To Report A Crime?

Use the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office online system to submit a report for some types of crimes occurring in unincorporated Sacramento County and Rancho Cordova. A valid email address is required.

Report a crime at anytime with our convenient app. Click below to learn more.

LEARN MORE