Volunteer
at the Cameron Park Zoo

Opportunities available:

Docents are volunteer educators who use easily handled animals and biofacts to share information with zoo visitors to help them develop an appreciation of animals, their environment, and the delicate balance between them. What else do Docents do? They participate in the Education Department with tours, Zoo Mobiles, classes, Zoo Adventure Camp, animal presentations, special events, and much more! Training is required. You must be 18 or older to qualify for either program.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the Curator of Education at (254) 750-8451.

City of Waco Boards and Commissions

The Waco City Council accepts applications from Waco residents who are interested in serving as a member of a board or commission. The basic qualifications for those appointed to serve on a board or commission for the City of Waco include:

• Be a qualified voter at the time of appointment.
• Must not have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime of moral turpitude for which he/she has not been pardoned within the last 10 years.
• Must not have been removed from a board or commission because of failure to attend meetings within the last three years.
• Boards or commissions that are mandated by statute do require city residency; however, boards or commissions that are advisory in nature do not require city residency.

For more information, call the City Secretary's Office at 750-5750 or click here: Boards and Commission

Citizens Police Academy

The Citizens Police Academy is an educational program designed to give the public a working knowledge of the Waco Police Department's personnel and policies. The academy consists of a series of classes held one night each week for 2 1/2 hours. The instruction is comprehensive, covering a different area of the police department each week.

The Citizens Police Academy is held in the Spring and Fall. The class meets every Thursday for 15 weeks. The academy covers a wide variety of topics, such as Criminal Investigations, Patrol Operations, Communications, Crime Prevention, Courts and their functions, Defensive Tactics and Firearms Training. Instruction in these and other topics consist of lectures, demonstrations, tours and hands-on activities.

To ask questions, call Estella Lopez (254) 750-1764.

Click here for more information
or to apply

Waco Police Department
Victim Services Volunteers

Victim Services is a unit of the Waco Police Department. It is currently staffed with a Director of Victim Services, Brenda Penland, a Coordinator of Volunteers, Jennifer Lundquist, and a Coordinator of Crime Victims' Compensation, David Parkinson. This program was developed in order to serve the needs of victims/witnesses and their families.

Our primary function is to provide on-scene crisis intervention. Staff is on-call 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. The unit provides on-scene crisis intervention, death notifications, victim education, follow-up contact, assistance with Crime Victims' Compensation and Victim Impact statements, criminal justice advocacy, legal advocacy, court accompaniment, and assessment and referral services, as well as other pertinent victim needs.

In order to meet the extensive needs of our community with such a small staff, we utilize specially trained volunteers. Volunteer Crisis Teams work various shifts 7 days a week. These teams respond to a wide range of calls such as: homicide, suicide, accidental death, robbery, sexual assault, family violence, as well as others. Volunteers are trained to assist with death notifications, provide crisis intervention and education, and other relevant services.

We currently have 30 qualified Crisis Team volunteers. Victim Services volunteers are required to successfully complete approximately 35 hours of classroom instruction, 20 hours of patrol ride observation, and two supervised Crisis Team shifts.

Classroom instruction includes topics such as: death and dying, death notifications, homicide, suicide, sexual assault, crisis intervention strategies, victim issues, as well as a wide range of other topics.

In order to qualify for graduation, volunteers are also required to perform successfully in a role-play examination. The Victim Services Crisis Team Training Academy is 4 weeks long. Waco Police Department Victim Services volunteers are highly trained and committed to assisting and serving members of their community whose lives have been touched by a tragic event.

These are exceptional individuals who are not only interested in their own personal growth through both formal and experiential learning, but they are also willing to share their time, talents, and insights in order to help others. The Waco Police Department Crisis Team Training Academy is held periodically as needed.

A background check is required for all applicants, which includes criminal history, employee background, and references. Individuals who pass the screening will be invited to the orientation night. Top applicants from the orientation will then be invited to attend the 4-week academy.

Individuals interested in applying for a position as a Volunteer Crisis Team Member should contact Troy Sandifer, Volunteer Coordinator, at 750-7526.

Citizens on Patrol

If you are interested in being part of the Citizens on Patrol, the City of Waco Police Department will be conducting a training session. The training will be from 8 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2008 in the training room at the main Police building, 721 N. 4th. The registration deadline date is May 2, 2008.

Citizens On Patrol is a volunteer program, designed for citizens to take an active part in patrolling their neighborhood and other areas of the city. Citizens will be provided with training, equipment and identification.

For further information, call 750-1764. To apply, visit the Citizens on Patrol webpage. You must not have a criminal history in order to participate.