When you think of a police car patrolling the streets of a U.S. city, the first thing that comes to mind may not be an 88-year-old World War II veteran teamed up with a pilot from the Vietnam war – unless you’re travelling through San Diego, California.
The Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol, or RSVP, as they’re known, started in 1997 when police asked for volunteers to help check on the elderly in their homes and monitor the empty houses of people away on holiday.
10 Feb 2015 . SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES. REUTERS/Mike Blake
The success of the program, where anyone over the age of 50, retired or semi-retired could apply to volunteer, led to the San Diego Police Department’s traffic division requesting a unit of their own to help with traffic at the scene of accidents and parking complaints.
“I’m happy to get out there and do my thing and at the same time release a police officer to do real police work,” said Steve Rubin, who retired as a paramedic in Los Angeles in 2008.
10 Mar 2015 . SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES. REUTERS/Mike Blake
He is one of 48 volunteers, including 6 women, forming unarmed patrols in all-white police cars complete with sirens, flashing lights, computers systems and police radios.
There are times when the public isn’t sure what to make of them.
10 Mar 2015 . SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Robles explains parking regulations to the roommate of a truck owner.
Some volunteers in the RSVP unit were airline pilots, others were in the military. Whatever their former career, they all get trained how to spot stolen vehicles and enforce parking regulations.
They run patrols from 6am until midnight responding to traffic accidents and fires, using computerised licence-plate readers to locate missing vehicles.
24 Feb 2015 . SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES. REUTERS/Mike Blake
“I love it,’ said Ed Robles, a World War II veteran who retired from teaching in Long Island in 1991, then moved to San Diego. He’s been a volunteer for about 16 years.
Over time the retired volunteers have become an asset to the regular officers of the San Diego Police Department, coming to the aid of people whose vehicle has broken down or been in an accident. That helps lighten the load for regular officers.
4 Feb 2015 . SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES. REUTERS/Mike Blake
“They thank us for all the help,” Robles said, citing the example of a traffic accident. Starting with five or six police patrol cars, the arrival of RSVP volunteers to redirect traffic allows two of three patrol cars to move on to other police work, as they are no longer needed. “They show so much appreciation that it’s worth doing what we’re doing.”
All the volunteers seemed thrilled to be back doing something useful and at the same time, they conceded, a little bit exciting.
30 Apr 2015 . SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES. REUTERS/Mike Blake
“I thought retirement would be sitting on my butt watching TV,” said ex-paramedic Rubin. ”That worked for about a month and then I came over to RSVP because I needed something to do. I thought it would be interesting and I could do something for the community.”
Men make up the majority of the RSVP crew. Their wives, I was told time and again, were happy to see their husbands stay active and get involved in the community. Having their menfolk out from under their feet was an added bonus.
17 Mar 2015 . SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Robles, who first got involved with RSVP five years after he stopped paid work, sees himself carrying on with the patrols as long as the 88-year-old’s health allows. “I don’t know when I’ll retire from it.”
10 Mar 2015 . SAN DIEGO, UNITED STATES. REUTERS/Mike Blake