Sheriff’s Office League of Volunteers, Inc.

 

Our Mission

The mission of the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office League of Volunteers (S.O.L.V.) is to “Assist and Support” the Sheriff’s Office with certain duties that promote the health and well being of Yuma County residents.

The S.O.L.V. was established in September 2006 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which is an umbrella for the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office volunteer units.

 

Value of Volunteer Time

Volunteers provide many intangible benefits, making it difficult to quantify the value of a volunteer program. Calculating the value helps acknowledge the enormous value volunteers provide to their organization and their community by dedicating their time, talents, and energy to making a difference.

National Hourly Value
 Annually Independent Sector, a coalition of approximately 550 charities, foundations and corporate giving programs, calculates an hourly dollar value of volunteer time. The estimated value of volunteer time for 2023 is $33.49 an hour. This value of volunteer time is based on the average hourly earnings of all production and non-supervisory workers on private non-farm payrolls (as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics). Independent Sector takes this figure and increases it by 12 percent to estimate for fringe benefits.

During 2023, the YCSO volunteer units worked a combined total of 4,851.5 hours on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office and Yuma County residents. Based on the Independent Sector’s 2023 national hourly rate, the value of our volunteer labor in 2023 was $162,476.74.

Hourly Value by State
Independent Sector also calculates the dollar value of a volunteer hour by state. The 2023 value for the State of Arizona is $32.07 an hour. Based on the 2023 hourly rate for the State of Arizona, the value of our volunteer labor in 2023 was $155,587.61.

 

YCSO Volunteer Opportunities

The SOLV is comprised of the following volunteer units:

  • Civilian Volunteers
  • Explorers
  • Posse
  • Reserve Deputy Program
  • Search and Rescue

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    Volunteer Academy

    The first YCSO Volunteer Academy was held in 2001. The volunteer academy was established mainly to reduce liability by providing training in the tasks or jobs that the volunteers would be performing, such as traffic control, securing a crime scene, etc. Additionally, the volunteers are provided with information regarding the duties of the Sheriff and the mission of the Sheriff’s Office.

    As of 2006, all Sheriff’s Office current volunteers and new volunteer applicants were required to complete the YCSO Volunteer Academy. To date, more than 400 Sheriff’s Office voluteers have completed the Volunteer Academy.

    The academy is set up in four phases for a total of 110 hours of training.

    Level I: 9 Hours

    • Weapons Requirements
    • Community Oriented Policing (C.O.P.) Philosophy
    • Sheriff’s Office League of Volunteers (S.O.L.V.)
    • Duties of the Sheriff
    • Yuma County Detention Center Orientation
    • Yuma County Sheriff’s Office Structure and Operations
    • Customer Service/Telephone Courtesy
    • Ethics and Professionalism

    Level II: 33 Hours

    • Law Enforcement History
    • Crime Prevention
    • Patrol and Observations
    • Basic Crowd Control Techniques
    • Civil Liability
    • Documentation Procedures
    • Court Room Demeanor
    • Basic Traffic Control
    • Overview-Laws of Arrest: Title 13
    • Radio Procedures
    • Drug Recognition
    • Handicap Parking Enforcement
    • Camera Operation and Photo Procedures
    • 7-11 Procedures
    • Delinquent Tax Collection
    • Time Accounting
    • Blood Borne Pathogens
    • Fire Safety
    • Sexual Harassment
    • CPR for the Professional Rescuer
    • Gangs
    • Vehicle Maintenance & Check Out Procedures
    • Defensive Driving

    Level III: 18 Hours

    • Use of Force
    • Defensive Tactics
    • Mechanical Restraints & Devices
    • O.C. Spray
    • ASP/Baton Training

    Level IV: 50 Hours

    • Basic Pistol Training
    • Day Qualification
    • Night Qualification

    All volunteers must complete the first three levels of training. Only volunteers who will carry a firearm will be required to complete the Level IV training.

     

    SOLV Public Notices

    There are no notices at this time.
     

    To Become a Volunteer...

    Or for more information regarding the YCSO SOLV Program, please contact:

    Sgt. Richard Meraz
    SOLV Coordinator
    Tel: (928) 819-2212
    Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM-5:00 PM

    Volunteer Coordinator
    Tel: (928) 819-2215

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