Framingham Auxiliary Police Open House

The Framingham Auxiliary Police is holding an open house, during National Volunteer Week, on Wednesday, April 22, 2009; 7:30 PM at the Framingham Police Station, One William Welch Way, Framingham. The purpose of the open house is to provide information to people who may have an interest in participating in Public Safety by becoming a Framingham Auxiliary Police Officer.

The Framingham Auxiliary Police is a VOLUNTEER organization that has been assisting the Framingham Police Department for over 67 years. Membership in the Framingham Auxiliary Police provides a means for residents of Framingham to make their town a safer and better place to live and work. The Framingham Auxiliary Police is also a component of Framingham Emergency Management, and is trained and prepared to assist our community in the event of an emergency or disaster.

Captain Marc Spigel, Commanding Officer of the Framingham Auxiliary Police, stated that: "We are currently looking for residents of Framingham who have a strong interest and commitment to community service in the areas of Homeland Security and Public Safety."

The Framingham Auxiliary Police collectively provide approximately 4,000 hours of community service each year to the town. Our community service includes activities such as weekend patrols, assisting at the police station, road races (including the Boston Marathon), Concerts on the Green, and the annual Flag Day events. The Framingham Auxiliary Police also sponsors a child safety program each year, which to date has educated the families of over 10,000 children from our community. The Framingham Auxiliary Police has earned the honor of a Presidential Service Award for community service and commitment in each of the years, 2003 through 2008, that this award has been available.

If you are interested in community service, over 21 years old, a US citizen, have no criminal record, and have been a resident of Framingham for over six months you are invited to attend the open house. Applications will be available at the open house for interested residents. All applicants will be subject to written entrance examinations, interviews and background verification. All new members will be expected to complete a 200 hour state run academy training program, and commit to between 15 and 20 hours of community service each month.

The open house is being held during National Volunteer Week, that in 2009 is “Celebrating People in Action”, honoring those who dedicate themselves to taking action and bettering their communities. National Volunteer Week is also about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities, and that is why we invite you to our open house and give you an opportunity to help your community.

Paid road details?

No - That's not what we are about. If that's what you care about this VOLUNTEER opportunity is not for you.

Honestly, it's a valid question since many department's will often make the Auxiliaries specials and allow them to work paid details. It doesn't hurt to ask but I agree, that's not what the main purpose of being an Auxiliary is.

WOW.... Lay off the caffeine Francis.. SHEESH.

Duff, you have that right about this hero.............

Is it limited to town residents only?

If you are interested in community service, over 21 years old, a US citizen, have no criminal record, and have been a resident of Framingham for over six months you are invited to attend the open house.

I talked to a couple of Framingham Auxiliary Police Officers at a welcome home ceremony for a Framingham National Guard unit. They seem very professional, well trained and well equiped.

I liked the old style badges they wear.

Do they carry firearms

Only when Field Marshal Von Spigel decides to issue them, apparently.

Yes

And Framingham State is Jealous

YES

The last I saw they did carry firearms and assisted the full timers often. I think at 1 time they did do paid road details. Many aux. departments do them. Worcester Aux. can make arrests.

Anyways, like I said, worcester aux. carries and makes arrest.

I thought Worcester laid off several full time officers???

The worst situation to be in when lay offs happen is to be an auxiliary. The community just may 'ask' you to do more than in the past and that will unquestionably perturb the regulars. It's tempting to be willing to take on a few more responsibilities, but beware, it's not worth the animosity that will come of it.

I recall many years ago when the T was still being built in Braintree. The details had not been paid for in a LOOOOOONG time and the cops said, "Screw it, we're not going to work them." The project was just about shut down because of the contractor not fulilling his obligations. Some idiot suggested, "We'll have the Auxiliaries do it!" I was there at the time and we collectively said, "SCREW YOU!" Not only would it put us in harms way, but many of us were Specials and we hadn't been paid either. Mostly the former was the reason we wouldn't do it and none of us would have blamed the regulars for being angry with us if we had, our fault or not.

Yeah, my spelling is worse than normal. No spell check, no concerns about it.

I'm surprised a city of Worcester's size would have volunteers and allow them to arrest people... liability problem if a whacker gets on. Personally, I would not want any volunteer "assisting" full time police and am glad we don't have any. Everyone here is a full timer who went through a full academy...just the way we like it.

Auxiliaries typically do not work if Full-Timers within the department have been laid-off

That what I thought. I actually thought if one full time officer gets laid off then the whole auxiliary program get disbanded.

I don't see the program being disbanded, but NO EXTRA DUTIES. That would be not only potentially suicidal, but simply wrong, very, very wrong.

Any chief who would send his Auxiliaries out to pick up the slack is a scumbag, but I can't see any chief being that bad that he'd cause unnecessary animosity between Regulars and Auxiliaries as well as send part time volunteers to do what full time trained professionals do in place of those full time people.

Auxiliaries are there for so many good reasons, there is no need to put them in a situation where they could get hurt or give the impression that they can replace a full timer for budgetary reasons. NONE!