Jayne Kirkpatrick, Director, Public Affairs

Prepared by:  David Blount, Public Affairs Specialist

November 29, 2012

For more information: Contact Bruce Embry, Raleigh Police Department, 996-1118

Volunteers Act as Extra Eyes, Extra Ears on Raleigh’s Greenway

Recently, a Raleigh mother faced a nightmarish scenario. Her two small children had gone missing near Raleigh’s greenway system. No one knew whether the children had simply wandered away or if they were facing grave danger. Fortunately, one of the City of Raleigh’s greenway volunteers located the kids within 20 minutes and returned them back home.

Currently, the City of Raleigh has 28 volunteers monitoring the City’s greenway. The volunteer program was the idea of Raleigh City Council member Randall Stagner, former Raleigh Police Chief Harry Dolan, and City of Raleigh Police Volunteer Coordinator Bruce Embry. The volunteers passed a criminal background check and met other qualifications before they were enrolled in the program. The volunteers also had three hours of training before they began their duties. 
“We ask the volunteers to be on the lookout for anything abnormal,” Mr. Embry said. “We want them to be available to help people on the trails. We give them maps to hand out so people know their way around. The police can’t be in all places at all times so having them out there is a big help.”

Volunteers are required to serve a minimum of eight hours each month. They also are on the lookout for things such as graffiti or downed trees blocking greenway paths. Mr. Embry said that volunteers recently spotted some street signs that vandals had removed and thrown into creeks. A volunteer spotted them and City crews were able to retrieve them and remount them. 

“One of the things that we stress to the volunteers is that we want them to be a good witness,” he said. “If they spot criminal trouble, we want them to call 9-1-1. That’s what the police are for. If they spot trouble, we want them to let us handle it.”

Mr. Embry added that the greenways are rarely at the location of crimes in Raleigh, but the wooded trails are an excellent conduit for thieves looking to escape a high-traffic area.

“I joke with them that if they see a guy walking down the greenway with a 50-inch flat screen TV, that’s a clue,” he laughed. “The greenway can be a short trip out of sight to another location. The police can’t drive by and see it, but the greenway volunteers can be that set of eyes and ears for suspicious activity.”

The volunteers wear bright, easily-seen t-shirts or vests that identify them as a Capital Area Greenway volunteer with the City’s logo on it. 

“We ask them to do their normal routine on the greenway, nothing else, Mr. Embry said. “So far, they’ve logged 356 hours since Aug. 1. We’ve got a few more volunteers in the northern sections of town. Certain neighborhoods have been pretty active. Heddingham has been a tremendous asset with a lot of people that are helping out.”

For more information on the volunteer effort or to sign up, call Ret. Lt. Bruce Embry at 996-1118 or email him at Bruce.embry@raleighnc.gov