Members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office V.O.I.C.E. (Volunteer Observers Impacting Community Effort) program will be recognized Monday, April 16, 2012 for their dedication and efforts in 2011. A Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon will be held at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater in Fort Myers, beginning at noon. It coincides with Volunteer Appreciation Week and provides the Sheriff’s Office with the opportunity to honor and thank its volunteers for the hard work they have done and the time they have sacrificed.
During festivities, V.O.I.C.E. program members will present Sheriff Mike Scott with a check denoting the dollar amount their services saved the taxpayers of Lee County last year. Additionally, the President’s Volunteer Service Award will be presented to all qualified members.
The Sheriff’s Office V.O.I.C.E. Unit is 165 members strong and is an integral part of the agency. Since 1988, the program has evolved from neighborhood patrol to a very diverse array of non-confrontational duties that allow deputies to focus on more urgent life-safety and security matters. Duties of V.O.I.C.E. include traffic control, business and neighborhood patrols, picking up found property, neighborhood canvassing, tagging abandoned vehicles, as well as many clerical and operational support duties.
For those interested in joining V.O.I.C.E., applicants must be 18 years of age and graduated high school or obtained a G.E.D. Candidates should possess a valid driver’s license, be in good health and have no criminal record. Those with military experience must have been honorably discharged. Upon acceptance, applicants will undergo academy and field training to prepare them for their new duties. Members are asked to donate a minimum of 16 hours per month. For more information call (239) 477-1422.