GV residents often fail to lock their doors, SAV finds

While doing home checks for Green Valley residents in 2006, Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers found 73 open doors.

SAV also participated in 18 emergency response team callouts and 20 times set up its mobile command post.

These figures came from Robert Hoeckelberg, SAV commander.

SAV is just wrapping up its annual fund drive.

In its 2006 fund drive, SAV received $163,027 from individuals and $4,957 from businesses. Susan Kline was manager of the fund drive.

SAV receives little financial help from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department or others.

At the end of 2006, there were 109 SAV members, and over the year they put in 60,581 volunteer hours.

That would take 30 people working full time to duplicate that amount of time.

SAV Cmdr. Hoeckelberg praised the volunteers and said, “Truly we have always had a good bunch of people, both men and women, and they always get the job done.”

Paid for by volunteers

Uniforms and equipment, including the vehicles they drive and command post they operate, are paid for by the volunteers or with funds they raise.

There are six Ford Crown Victorias, three Dodge Durangos and a Ford Pickup in the vehicle fleet.

The members drove them 109,519 miles last year and put on 536 miles on the Command Post GOLF, the official name of the mobile command post.

The vehicle fleet is managed by Fred Steinbach. The Command Post GOLF is managed by Bill Campbell.

Responded to 469 calls

SAV members responded to 469 calls in the year. The 2005 figure was 738.

The volunteers performed 23,667 home checks compared to 2005’s 26,387. Bill Eichler is manager of the home check program.

SAV members are on patrol, too. Almost every day there are two patrolling Green Valley Mall and Continental Shopping Plaza and one at the Country Fair White Elephant.

SAV member Gregg Zeller handles fingerprinting. Last year, 1,082 adults had their prints taken, possibly for use later in case something untoward happens to some of them.

Volunteer Paul Kline, who writes “Rules of the Road” for the Green Valley News, also serves as manager of the bailiff operation.

“There are 17 SAVs that are trained to work as bailiff at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Green Valley,” Hoeckelberg reported.

They work two shifts, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.

“One bailiff is scheduled for each shift except when there is a jury trial scheduled and that requires two bailiffs,” Hoeckelberg said.

SAV also keeps its eyes on businesses, calling on stores and businesses for emergency phone numbers and addresses of persons to call in case of trouble.

Last year, 50 SAV members contacted 497 firms to get the information.

SAV members don’t always just work in Green Valley. They provided help during Tucson’s biking marathon, Tour de Tucson; a homicide investigation at Arivaca, and working on the damaged road to Mount Lemmon.

In a closing note from SAV, Cmdr. Hoeckelberg said, “We thank the community for its support and we thank the volunteers for their time and talents.”

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749