If you walk the streets of Rosedale, chances are you have seen an orange and white vehicle with flashing amber lights and the initials RCOP painted on the side. It looks similar to an old police car, but the occupants inside are just ordinary citizens, who have taken it upon themselves to make the streets safer.
Sam Elliot, 68, a retired mechanic from the Department of Environmental Conservation, has always been active in the community, attending civic and community board meetings as well as being a regular parishioner at an area church, but last year he decided he wanted to do more, so he joined RCOP.
“I figured it is the least I could do to help the community,” Elliot said. “I look foward to it.”
Although he has only been out on two patrols so far, he said he enjoys spending time with the other members of the group and knowing that his neighbors are getting home safely, especially at night.
The Rosedale Civilian Observation Patrol was created decades ago with the purpose of being the extended eyes and ears of the 105th Precinct. Its 14 members consider themselves guardians of the neighborhood and are devoted to making Rosedale a better place to to live, work and play.
“The patrol really adds value to the Rosedale community,” said Bill Perkins, president of the Rosedale Civic Association, who occassionly goes out on patrols. “They are out there making the rounds and keeping the community safe.”
Members of the patrol are required to complete the Police Department’s citizens’ police academy, a 16-week program that reflects the training cadets receive. There they learn the rules they must follow while out in the field as well as how cops handle domestic disputes and criminal activity.
Irnel Stephen, 69, a retired social worker, joined the patrol in 1978 when the demographics of Rosedale were changing from white to African American and tensions ran high. More recently, however, he says patrols are usually uneventful.
“It’s an opportunity to educate newcomers about civic responsibility,” Stephen said. “It also helps to show that the police are our partners, not our enemies.”
Members of RCOP always work in pairs when they go out on their two-hour shifts through the community. They record the time and location of irregular activities on patrol sheets, which are turned into the 105th Precinct monthly, and helps the police monitor crime hot spots. They also record the locations of houses and other buildings that have been defaced with graffiti.
In addition to surveying the streets, patrol members remove illegally posted signs from telephone poles and report offenders to the Department of Sanitation. They also keep tabs on seniors during severe weather emergencies to make sure they have sufficient supplies.
Members are not allowed to leave their vehicle while on patrol. In the case of an emergency, they must immediately contact the 105th Precinct or stop a police patrol car.
In order to remain well informed of the illegal activity taking place in the community and what police are doing to address it, members attend the monthly meetings of the 105th Precinct Community Council.
RCOP is always seeking new members. Those interested in joining the ranks should call (718) 978-4701 or come to the Rosedale Civic Association meetings, held on the last Tuesday of each month except during July, August and December, at Throop Memorial Presbyterian Church at 140-17 243 St. in Rosedale.
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