In 1978 the Pima
County Sheriff’s Department
introduced the Citizen Bear to Green
Valley. The Citizen Bear was comprised
of Green Valley volunteers who facilitated
the use of Citizen Band radios for
communication. At this time, the
role of the Citizen Bear in the community
was limited to search operations
and home visits. Although volunteerism
was in its infancy at this time,
the Pima County Sheriff’s Department
was a national leader. With that
in mind, it was no surprise that
Sheriff Dupnik decided to expand
volunteerism even further.
Sheriff Dupnik tasked a group of individuals
to develop a larger more comprehensive group
of volunteers. The focus was to develop a program
which would model the Green Valley Citizen
Bear group while serving all of unincorporated
Pima County.
The initial progression was slow;
however, the department soon learned
that the talent of the volunteers
vastly exceeded our expectations.
The Citizen Bear program evolved
into a new concept of volunteerism.
This evolution also prompted a
change in the name, our volunteers
were now known as the Pima County
Sheriff’s Department Auxiliary
Volunteers, Incorporated.
It did not take long for the responsibilities
of this volunteer organization
to expand far beyond what was initially
anticipated. Following are a few
examples:
1982 Crime Prevention
Education
1983 Home Security Presentations
1984 Neighborhood Watch
1984 Fingerprinting
1985 Generalized Patrol Operations
The Pima County Sheriff’s
Department Auxiliary Volunteers
(SAV) are exceptionally trained
individuals who represent the department
in an extraordinary manner. Since
1981, this non-profit volunteer
organization has provided over
1 million hours of service to the
community. Through their contributions,
the Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers
are a vital part of our efforts
to enhance the quality of life
within the community we serve.
Green Valley's Volunteer Spirit
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