Description
V.O.I.C.E which stands for Volunteer Observer Impacting Community Effort was started in 1988 when the Lee County Sheriff's Office needed additional deputies but did not have the budget to hire them.
VOICE is comprised of concerned citizens who care about their community and are dedicated to helping the Sheriff's Office provide a higher level of service to its citizens and visitors.
The primary functions of the volunteers were neighborhood patrol. Over the years, the volunteer duties have evolved and expanded greatly. VOICE members now perform a very diverse array of non-confrontational duties that keeps certified road deputies available for the more serious calls requiring law enforcement expertise. Some duties that were added to neighborhood patrol are traffic control, traffic surveys, business patrols, DUI checkpoints, picking up found property, neighborhood canvassing, tagging abandoned vehicles, assisting in enforcement of handicapped parking, crime prevention, as well as a variety of office duties. Volunteers also provide assistance to non-profit organizations and civic groups by assisting at special events with traffic control, fingerprinting and crowd patrol for lost children and medical emergencies.
VOICE members contributed over 54,000 hours in 2017, saving Lee County citizens more than 1.2 million dollars.
If you have 16 hours a month that you can give to your community, please call the Lee County Sheriff's Office VOICE Office at (239) 477-1422
