Volunteer Forces Unit
Message from Sheriff Chad Bianco:
As the Sheriff of Riverside County, I fully believe in the value of a Volunteer Program and welcome you to join our law enforcement family. There are many avenues available to fulfill the goal of making Riverside County a better and safer place to live and I encourage you to explore all we have to offer. Public safety is everybody’s business and volunteers play a key role in helping law enforcement keep our communities and citizens safe.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to research our various programs and I look forward to your future participation.
For general questions regarding our Volunteer Forces Unit, please contact us via email here.
- Chaplain Corps
- Citizen Volunteers
- Explorer Program
- Mounted Posse
- Reserve Deputy Sheriff
- Search and Rescue
The Chaplain Corps is comprised of various clergy from throughout the county who have a heart for those in Law Enforcement. The chaplains are pastors, priests and religious leaders in their communities who volunteer their time to support the men and women working in the Sheriff’s Office. Training and experience in handling emotional situations also enable the chaplains to assist deputies on patrol with calming distraught family members or by just being a shoulder for someone to cry on.
Want to become part of this elite team? Qualifications to be a Sheriff’s Chaplain generally include:
- Strong faith, great love, and concern for people.
- Sufficient education and training.
- A broad base of life and ministry experience.
- Demonstrable emotional stability and personal flexibility.
- A confident personality, an approachable spirit, and an amiable disposition.
- Genuine love, concern, and compassion for those in law enforcement.
- A willingness to invest in specialized training.
To learn more about the Sheriff’s Chaplain program, contact the Volunteer Forces Unit.
Click here to download an application.
Volunteer today!
Citizen volunteers do not require the special law enforcement training of a Reserve Deputy Sheriff.
Volunteers do not carry a weapon or make arrests. They do act as essential "eyes and ears" in service to the community while working with Sheriff’s staff.
Volunteers may work in a myriad of assignments including within their own neighborhood, at a correctional facility, in patrol operations, clerical support, investigations, accounting, computer entry and many more.
Volunteer Categories
- Chaplain Corps
- Citizen Patrol
- Crime Prevention
- Explorer Program
- Dive Team
- Logistics
- Mountain Rescue
- Mounted Posse
- Neighborhood Watch
- Search and Rescue
How to Volunteer
Each community’s needs are different in terms of population, terrain and lifestyle. Citizen volunteers must be over the age of 18. Volunteer hours can be flexible and scheduled to your available time.
To contribute your time and skills to your community, please contact the Volunteer Forces Unit. You will be asked to:
- Be interested!
- Complete an application
- Have a good moral character
- Have no major criminal record
- Participate in an oral interview
- Pass a background investigation
- Submit your completed background paperwork
Click here to download an application.
Volunteer today!
For over 30 years, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has supported activity for young persons between the ages of 14 and 20 1/2 years old. Law Enforcement Exploring is a division of the Boy Scouts of America that gives you a hands-on look at what a career in law enforcement is really like.
Explorer Options
Community Service
Explorers serve the community in various ways such as directing traffic at special events, crime prevention programs, and light security details.
Ride-Alongs
Once you become eligible, you can participate in the ride-a-long program. You become an extra set of eyes and ears for the officers and assist them in various calls.
Meetings
The Post meets weekly or biweekly (depending on the post), to discuss Explorer business and upcoming events.
Career Enhancement
Participating in a Law Enforcement Explorer Post is a great start to your law enforcement career! Call today and join other dedicated youths in serving their community.
Training
Training is provided by experts throughout the year and can include the following categories:
- Accident Investigation
- Arrest, Search and Seizure
- Building Searches
- Criminal Investigation
- Criminal Justice System
- Criminal Law
- Defensive Driving
- Defensive Tactics
- Defensive Weapons
- Domestic Violence
- Firearm Safety
- First Aid
- Hostage Negotiations
- Logistics
- Narcotics Law
- Patrol Procedures
- Physical Fitness
- Police Community Relations
- Police Radio Techniques
- Traffic Control
- Vehicle Stops
How to Become a Law Enforcement Explorer
To contribute your time and skills to your community, please contact the Volunteer Forces Unit. You will be asked to:
- Be interested!
- Contact your Explorer Post Advisor to request an application
- Have a good moral character
- Have no major criminal record
- Participate in an oral interview as scheduled
- Pass a background investigation
- Submit your completed background paperwork
- Obtain your parents’ permission
Click here to download an application.
Volunteer today!
History of the Sheriff’s Mounted Posse
The organization of a “volunteer effort” to aid the Sheriff of a county in America became formally known as a posse back to the early 1600s. The name “posse” is derived from the familiar Latin term posse comitatus which translates to a “volunteer effort of the county.”
Though much has changed over the 300+ years since the formation of the first American posses, the origin of volunteerism to benefit the citizens of the county still remains the cornerstone of even today’s dedicated posses.
The Mounted Posse Today
A mounted posse is a non-profit group of volunteers who dedicate their time to their communities and the Sheriff’s Office. The troops are comprised of volunteers who use their personal horses for duties such as the following:
- Charity events
- Parade detail
- Patrol
- Public relations
- Search and rescue
Not all members of the mounted posse are riding members. Many troops welcome volunteers who would like to dedicate their time as "ground support" whose jobs are to ensure safety of the crowds and public who wish to interact with the posse horses and riders, provide clean up detail, and ensure the protection of the riders’ personal equipment while on duty as well as serve as "eyes and ears" lookout in different situations.
Not Just for “Show and Tell”
Often the face of the Sheriff's Office at special events like parades, Ramona Pageant, Coachella Fest, Balloon and Wine Festival, Farmer’s Fair, and malls during holidays, the Sheriff’s Posse plays a very important role in public relations around the county. Today’s posse, however, is much more than just for “show and tell.”
Volunteers must be:
- 18 years of age
- Be in reasonable health and physically able to perform the duties required of a Mounted Posse members
- A citizen of the United States of America or a legal resident with a citizen application in process
- Pass a basic background investigation
Riding members must:
- Own or have reasonable access to and satisfactorily maintain an equine in good condition and sound health
- Own or have reasonable access to a truck and horse trailer
Ground support members need not own a horse or trailer but should be able to meet the physical requirements of their duties.
How to Volunteer
Whether patrolling Water District lands in the Banning Pass area on weekends for trespassers and vandals, patrolling the horse trails of Norco, or assisting at DUI checkpoints in Hemet, the Sheriff’s Mounted Posse contributes in many ways beyond just appearances at special events.
To contribute your time and skills to your community, please contact the Volunteer Forces Unit.
Click here to download an application.
Volunteer today!
About Reserve Deputies
The Reserve Deputy Sheriff Program is a volunteer organization of individuals who provide the Sheriff's Office with additional law enforcement resources to better serve the citizens of Riverside County.
Getting Started
Moreno Valley College, in partnership with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, provides a unique opportunity for working adults who wish to become reserve deputies.
Levels & Training
There are three levels of reserve deputy, each requiring some degree of the same law enforcement training that a sworn deputy must complete. Reserve Deputy Sheriff - Level III is the minimum requirement to become a reserve deputy.
Program Requirements
Learn about minimum requirements to enter the Reserve Deputy Sheriff programs.
Click here to download an application.
Volunteer today!
Volunteer Search and Rescue
Riverside County search and rescue teams are an essential component of the Sheriff’s Office as they are primarily responsible for all search and rescue missions involving lost or stranded persons in the County of Riverside.
Members respond to a variety of locations including desert landscapes, woodland areas, and rocky and mountainous terrain. Members may also be requested under the California Mutual Aid System to respond to other counties for search requests or natural disasters.
Highly Trained Volunteers
The Riverside County Search and Rescue team members are highly trained for their environments and meet on a monthly basis at various locations within the county. Volunteers regularly respond to emergencies at all hours, day or night, and often train with the Riverside County Aviation Team regarding hoist training. No prior experience is required, however, applicants must be team-oriented, willing to learn and improve outdoor skills, and in good shape.