- February 6, 2025
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Mary Wittmeyer first started volunteering at the Port Orange Police Department 35 years ago. She is one of the department's VIPS — Volunteers in Police Services.
The program, which started in 1983 — the same year Wittmeyer joined — is made up of local volunteers that assist the police department with multiple services, from fingerprinting, to equipment maintenance, to traffic control.
For Wittmeyer, the program has become a place where she not only gives back but where she has made lifelong friendships. She began volunteering with her husband and when he died she continued to serve in the department. She used to work in the detective bureau where she would pick up pawn tickets to compare the items to the department's stolen property list.
When those lists were computerized, she moved on to another department. She now volunteers as a courier and has held the title of secretary and treasurer in the program.
"It gives me something to do," Wittmeyer said. "I enjoy it."
Currently, the VIP program is broken into five divisions, each headed up by a lieutenant. There are five vehicles assigned to the volunteers.
When Wittmeyer first started volunteering, there were around 100 other volunteers. Now that number has dropped to 35. Volunteer Bruce Whitcomb said they are trying to bring in at least 20 more volunteers to help with the work.
Whitcomb first joined the program 13 years ago and has worked his way up from an officer's position to lieutenant, a title he currently holds. Whitcomb has found the program to be a way to better understand the city he lives in while also helping police officers with the different duties they have to perform, such as blocking roads during events.
"It relieves police officers from doing that," Whitcomb said. "Say we had to send two cars down to Orlando. That's two police officers that are on overtime. We do that for them."
Pat LaMountain, a captain, joined the program when one of the department's commanders was recruiting in the area she lived. Two of her friends were already volunteers and encouraged her to join as well. According to LaMountain, her first reaction was to decline. However, after thinking about it some more, she decided to join. That was 15 years ago.
LaMountain had been actively involved in the community when she lived in Massachusetts, where she is originally from, and said she likes to know what is happening around her. She also wanted to know more about the police department and the people who work there. The VIPS program was a way to do that.
"My primary interest is service to the community," LaMountain said. "It's been great."
Joe Grusauskas, a lieutenant, also started volunteering in the program 15 years ago when he moved to Volusia County. Grusauskas said his wife wanted him to be involved in the community in some way and the VIPS program interested him the most.
And the program has changed since Grusauskas first started. He remembers when volunteers were provided with a van and when he had to help block off the street after a double homicide.
Major Winthrop Kretman, who started volunteering 23 years ago, remembers when volunteers drove the same vehicles as police officers.
Now volunteers' vehicles are clearly marked.
Kretman, a former police officer, has been enjoying his work as a volunteer at the police department and said he doesn't plan to stop.
"I still enjoy it," Kretman said. "I keep telling these people they're going to carry me out in a body bag."
For more information on the VIPS program, visit https://goo.gl/tMEzSa.
