Cleveland Police is holding a special recognition event to celebrate its Volunteers as part of National Volunteers Week (1st - 7th June 2009).
The Volunteers will be presented with Certificates by the Chief Constable Sean Price to thank them for their contribution.
There are currently 70 volunteers within the Force assisting in various roles in Police Headquarters and across the four policing Districts.
Volunteers receive a full induction at the University of Teesside and undertake a wide variety of roles within the Force, for example providing administrative support to various departments including, Legal, Volunteers Team, Neighbourhood Policing, Response, Firearms and Licensing.
Volunteers provide assistance to our Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Press Office and Response Policing Teams. They also help out at events such as the National Independent Advisory Group Conference that took place in Middlesbrough in November 2008.
The scheme was established to encourage communities to get more involved with Cleveland Police, and enable the Force to have a deeper understanding of local issues to deal with them more effectively.
Chief Constable of Cleveland Police Sean Price said: "I am delighted that we have so many Volunteers who have come forward to join the Cleveland Police family.
"It is a real privilege to work with people who are prepared to give up their free time to help their communities, especially as many also have other commitments.
"The time they dedicate to the Force is vital in allowing our officers and staff to concentrate on core policing duties and deliver the citizen focused policing that puts the people of Cleveland first.
"The event is about recognising the valuable contribution our Volunteers make to Cleveland Police, and thanking them for all their hard work."
Added Cleveland Police Authority member Pam Andrews-Mawer "We are committed to strengthening the links between the Force and all sections of the community -- and what better way to do that than by giving people the opportunity to actual make a direct contribution through the Volunteers Scheme?
"The deserve recognition for the time and effort they put in, supporting our officers and staff in a variety of tasks which really do enable us to provide the best possible service to the public -- and, of course, they are able to provide us with invaluable feedback on the issues and concerns of local people and how we can respond to them."
Further information about volunteering with Cleveland Police is available from the Cleveland Police website at www.cleveland.police.uk.