Citizen Corps

Every American has a critical role to play in safeguarding his orher community. Ensuring a more secure and safer homeland and

safe and crime-free neighborhoods requires preparedness, training,

and citizen involvement.

Overview of Citizen Corps

Citizen Corps (www.citizencorps.gov) was created to help coordinate

volunteer activities that will make communities safer, stronger, and

better prepared to respond to hazardous situations. Its mission is to

harness the power of every individual through education and

outreach, training, and volunteer service. It provides opportunities for

people to participate in a range of measures to make their families,

homes, and communities safer from the threats of crime, terrorism,

public health emergencies, and hazards of all types.

Citizen Corps is a vital part of USA Freedom Corps

(www.usafreedomcorps.gov). Both share the goal of helping

communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to crime, terrorist

attacks, and other emergencies.

USA Freedom Corps brings together the resources of the federal

government with the nonprofit, business, educational, faith-based, and

other sectors to increase residents’ involvement in their communities.

The USA Freedom Corps Network helps individuals find volunteer

opportunities that match their interests and talents locally, nationally,

and internationally. USA Freedom Corps fosters a culture of service,

citizenship, and responsibility and is working with educators and

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Assistance Program Brief Bureau of Justice Assistance

Domingo S. Herraiz, Director

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

June 2004
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About BJA

The Bureau of Justice Assistance was established in 1984 as a

component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of

Justice. BJA provides leadership and resources to state, local, and

tribal governments and communities to reduce crime, violence, and

drug abuse and to strengthen the nation’s criminal justice system.

BJA provides this assistance through formula and discretionary

grants, training and technical assistance, publications, and the BJA 

web site.

For Further Information

For information about Citizen Corps, contact: 

Citizen Corps

www.citizencorps.gov

Bureau of Justice Assistance

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

202–616–6500

Fax: 202–305–1367

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA 

For publications and information on other BJA-funded programs,

contact:

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse

P.O. Box 6000 

Rockville, MD 20849–6000

1–800–851–3420

www.ncjrs.org

Clearinghouse staff are available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.

to 6 p.m. eastern time. Ask to be placed on the BJA mailing list. 

Office of Justice Programs

Partnerships for Safer Communities

www.ojp.usdoj.gov

NCJ 203669

others to increase civic awareness and community

participation. Citizen Corps is one of five federal

service programs—with the Peace Corps,

AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and Senior

Corps—that make up USA Freedom Corps.

Administration

Citizen Corps is coordinated nationally by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in

the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA

works closely with other federal entities (e.g., the

Corporation for National and Community Service),

state and local governments, first responders and

emergency managers, volunteer organizations, and

the White House Office of USA Freedom Corps to

promote volunteer service activities that support

community safety and homeland security. Citizen

Corps programs build on successful efforts that are

in place in many communities throughout the nation

to prevent crime and respond to emergencies.

Programs that started through local innovation are

the foundation for Citizen Corps.

In fiscal year (FY) 2002, the Bureau of Justice

Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S.

Department of Justice (DOJ), administered

approximately $2.7 million in funds for Citizen

Corps. Fiscal Year 2003 funds increased to almost

$3 million. Funding for FY 2004 remains at almost

$3 million. BJA administers two of the Citizen Corps

programs: Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) and

Neighborhood Watch.

Volunteers in Police Service

The International Association of Chiefs of Police

(IACP) is managing and implementing the Volunteers

in Police Service Program in partnership with the

U.S. Department of Justice. IACP is the world’s

oldest and largest nonprofit membership

organization of police executives, with more than

19,000 members in about 90 countries. The
ultimate goal of VIPS is to enhance the capacity of

state and local law enforcement to use volunteers.

The foundation of this national initiative to assist

state and local law enforcement agencies is the VIPS

web site (www.policevolunteers.org). The web site

serves as a gateway to information for law

enforcement agencies and citizens interested in law

enforcement volunteer programs. As of April 2004,

more than 850 law enforcement volunteer programs,

representing more than 59,000 volunteers in all 50

states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, have

registered with the VIPS Program. Having expanded

this year to include an international component, VIPS

also has registered programs from England, New

Zealand, and Canada.

The VIPS Program offers the following resources:

◆ An online directory of existing law enforcement

volunteer programs that potential volunteers can

search to connect with a program in their

community.

◆ Volunteer Programs: Enhancing Public Safety by

Leveraging Resources, a resource guide to assist in

the implementation or enhancement of an agency

volunteer program.

◆ An online clearinghouse of sample documents and

forms, including policies and procedures, liability

waiver forms, training materials, and volunteer

applications.

◆ Technical assistance.

◆ VIPS Info, a monthly electronic newsletter.

◆ A moderated discussion group for registered VIPS

programs to share information and ideas.

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National Neighborhood Watch

The Neighborhood Watch Program is a unique

infrastructure that brings together local officials, law

enforcement officers, and citizens to protect

communities. Neighborhood Watch has enhanced its

approach from an “extra eyes and ears” strategy to

crime prevention to a more comprehensive,

community-oriented endeavor. During its more than 30

years in existence, Neighborhood Watch has grown

into an effective means of crime control and

neighborhood cohesion. Additionally, the advent of

community policing in recent years has contributed to

a resurgence in Neighborhood Watch groups.

Businesses, shopping areas, local infrastructure, and

play areas that have high crime rates also benefit

from Neighborhood Watch groups.

The Neighborhood Watch Program is administered by

the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA). NSA is a 62-

year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to raising the

level of professionalism among those in the criminal

justice field, particularly sheriffs, their deputies, and

other law enforcement personnel.

NSA’s goals for Neighborhood Watch include

expanding the number of watch groups in the nation

and enhancing the program’s mission by incorporating

terrorism awareness and education and disaster

preparedness into its existing crime prevention

mission. By the end of 2003, the number of

registered Neighborhood Watch programs had

doubled. Programs such as VIPS and Community

Emergency Response Teams (discussed on page 5)

complement a Neighborhood Watch program.

“Through Citizen Corps, we are building a grassroots culture of citizen

preparedness. It is critical that the public be prepared personally and work with

their neighborhoods and communities to do the same.”

—Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge 
In addition to NSA and the Citizen Corps programs,

other partners in the Neighborhood Watch Program

are the Office of Community Oriented Policing

Services, IACP, National Association of Town Watch,

and National Crime Prevention Council.

Neighborhood Watch outreach programs include the

following:

◆ The 14-member Advisory Committee, which advises

NSA on the Neighborhood Watch Expansion Project,

provides mentors in the field and “ambassadors”

to the public, gives feedback on ideas generated by

staff and others, and offers direction for the future.

◆ The USAonwatch Mentoring Program, which guides

local law enforcement agencies and communitybased organizations on starting or revitalizing

Neighborhood Watch programs in their

communities.

◆ The Neighborhood Watch Awards of Excellence

Program, which honors stellar Neighborhood

Watch programs, law enforcement agencies,

community organizations, and others.

◆ The Interstate Collaboration Program, which serves

as a model to assist states in starting new or

revitalizing inactive Neighborhood Watch groups.

◆ Cooperative Initiatives for Community Safety,

which encourages business leaders to make

a commitment to ensure the safety of their

communities by creating Corporate Watch programs

in their corporate neighborhoods, encouraging

employees to start Neighborhood Watch groups in

their home neighborhoods, and building alliances

with local law enforcement agencies.

The program’s web site (www.USAonwatch.org) was

launched to promote Neighborhood Watch at the

national level and teach people how to organize a

watch group. Additionally, NSA created the “Meet the

Challenge” campaign to inspire law enforcement

agencies, citizen organizations, and the general public

to start new Neighborhood Watch groups or revitalize

existing ones and add them to the searchable

national database. Other site features include a

weekly e-mail newsletter, the Neighborhood Watch

Implementation Manual, success stories and articles,

and live audio interviews with government and law

enforcement officials and other Neighborhood Watch

affiliates.

Other Citizen Corps Programs

In addition to the programs administered by BJA, the

following Citizen Corps programs encourage

collaboration and volunteerism to enhance

preparedness at the national, state, local, and tribal

levels.

National Citizen Corps Council

The National Citizen Corps Council is made up of

leaders from first responder groups, emergency

management entities, volunteer organizations,

government agencies, and the private sector. The

National Council’s purpose is to foster collaboration; it

is not an advisory or governing body and does not set

national policy. The full National Council meets at

least once a year, and smaller working groups meet

more frequently. Member organizations include the

Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of

Fire Fighters, American Medical Association, National

Emergency Management Association, Salvation Army,

U.S. Conference of Mayors, and U.S. Chamber of

Commerce. Leaders of the organizations and their

colleagues at the state and local levels collaborate to

create local Citizen Corps Councils and promote

Citizen Corps’ mission.

State, Local, and Tribal Citizen Corps

Councils

Citizen Corps Councils coordinate Citizen Corps

programs, develop community action plans, assess

possible threats, and identify local resources. Through

the councils, all stakeholders can work together to

prevent crime, ensure a coordinated response to all

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emergencies, and promote the value and relevance of

volunteerism. As of April 2004, there were 53 state

and territory councils and 1,139 county and local

councils serving more than 137 million people, or 47

percent of the total U.S. population.

Community Emergency Response Teams

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) train

people in neighborhoods, the workplace, and schools

in basic disaster response skills such as fire

suppression, urban search and rescue, and medical

operations and help them take a more active role in

emergency preparedness. CERTs can give critical

support to first responders, provide immediate

assistance to victims, organize spontaneous

volunteers at a disaster site, and help with

nonemergency projects to improve community safety.

In January 2002, 100 communities in 27 states had

CERTs. The number has grown to more than 900

communities in 51 states and territories.

Medical Reserve Corps

Local Medical Reserve Corps (MRCs) coordinate

volunteer health professionals and other citizens

interested in health issues. MRCs provide ongoing

support for community public health needs (e.g.,

immunizations, screenings, health and nutrition

education) and help during large-scale emergencies

such as assisting emergency response teams and

caring for victims with less serious injuries.

Affiliate Program

The Citizen Corps Affiliate Program expands resources

and materials available to states and local

communities by partnering with programs and

organizations that offer resources for public

education, outreach, and training; represent

volunteers interested in making their community

safer; and offer volunteer service opportunities to

support first responders, disaster relief activities, and

community safety efforts. Organizations that are part

of the Affiliate Program include the American Red

Cross, National Crime Prevention Council, National

Volunteer Fire Council, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

By enabling citizens to prepare for and respond to

emergency situations, Citizen Corps programs are

making communities safer and stronger throughout

the nation.

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U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/BJA

PERMIT NO. G–91 *NCJ~203669*