Council reconsiders citizens‑on‑patrol; members suggest partnering with Stebbins High School program

Riverside Police Chief Robinson and Law Director Jim (title in meeting: Law Director) briefed council on the benefits and legal risks of reinstating a Citizens on Patrol (COP) volunteer program during the June 16 meeting, and councilors discussed a narrower, school‑based partnership as a safer, more cost‑effective option.

Chief Robinson reviewed past local experience with COP programs and examples from nearby jurisdictions, noting volunteers are non‑sworn, require training and cannot perform police powers such as pursuits. He described operational tasks volunteers commonly perform — traffic control at accidents, special events, property checks — and noted volunteer programs often shrink over time when recruitment and supervision burden city staff.

From a legal standpoint, Law Director Jim told council the program’s liability does not clearly fall under Ohio’s statutory immunity and he was “not legally convinced” that Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) coverage would extend to a volunteer in this program. He warned that volunteer injury or negligent acts could expose the city and said training and vetting requirements would be necessary to reduce risk.

Several council members, including Deputy Mayor Sarah Frey and Council Member Brown, supported exploring partnerships with Stebbins High School’s criminal‑justice career program. Frey said students need work‑based learning hours and the school partnership could reduce the city’s training and liability exposure because educational programs commonly include coverage and institutional oversight. “That would eliminate all legal question in my mind,” the law director said of the educational partnership.

Why it matters: A COP program could augment police capacity at non‑law‑enforcement tasks but requires staff supervision, training, equipment and legal safeguards. Council members flagged potential start‑up costs (uniforms, physicals, drug screens, vehicle and equipment costs) and the need to avoid diverting limited police resources to run the volunteer program.

Next steps: Council asked staff to explore whether a structured school partnership or a narrowly scoped volunteer program (for example, traffic management and event support only) would meet objectives with lower cost and legal exposure. Chief Robinson and staff were asked to consult school program leaders, career‑technical directors and risk advisors and report back.

Ending: Council signaled interest in a conservative, partnership‑first approach rather than immediately reviving a broad volunteer patrol program.