Chelsea Citizens Observer Patrol Works Hand in Hand with Local Law Enforcement
Chelsea, a quiet city in Shelby County, encapsulates the spirit of community cooperation with its successful Citizens Observer Patrol (COP). Active and dedicated for a quarter of a century, the Chelsea COP volunteers provide the much needed extra eyes and ears to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, ensuring a safer and more peaceful city for its residents.
Local Citizens Taking Initiative
The COP group, which contains more than 40 community members, works closely with local law enforcement in a variety of roles including first aid, emergency response and acting as a visible deterrent to criminal activity. Each volunteer steps up to build a better community, sacrificing their own leisure time to partake in this civic duty.
“Their goal is to be present and to be visible and to be a resource to law enforcement and the fire department, and they do an incredible job in the city of Chelsea,” notes Deputy Chief Clay Hammac. Hammac also references past instances where COP volunteers were among the first to show up when a child was lost, quickly forming a search party to track the missing youngster.
Voices of Action
The COP members, while not law enforcement officers, still play a critical role in maintaining the peace. When they notice something suspicious, they’re trained to promptly alert the sheriff’s office. “We have a ribbon program where we give awards to the volunteers and if they bring about an arrest that way they get a blue ribbon,” explains Jay Jerman, the dedicated founder of the Chelsea COP.
Through the years, this group of civic-minded individuals has indeed proven their worth. The Founder noted an instance where a COP member spotted a house fire early enough that their report likely saved the home from serious damage.
Birmingham Seeks to Follow Suit
City officials in Birmingham are currently seeking approval to set up their own COP, drawing on the success of the COP initiative in Chelsea. Advice from Chelsea COP leaders hinge on finding dedicated and community-minded individuals much like the ones they have in Chelsea.
Chelsea COP leaders emphasize that their main goal has always been – and continues to be – to ensure that residents feel comfortable, safe, and protected in their own community. Those inspired by their work and interested in joining the Chelsea COP can learn more through the City of Chelsea’s official website.
