Volunteers in Partnership with the Sheriff (VIPS)

The Columbia County Sheriff is committed to working in partnership with our communities to improve the quality of life in our county. The Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to solving community problems, the reduction of crime, and the preservation of laws, ordinances and the constitutional rights of all people within our jurisdiction.

The mandate of all sheriffs in Oregon is to conserve the peace in our communities by: investigating violations of law and bringing the perpetrators to justice; standing guard against those who would seek to undermine the peace in the county; maintaining the county jail for the purpose of detaining and correcting all those who break the peace in the county; executing all warrants and other processes of the courts or judicial officers thereof; and conducting all search and rescue efforts within the county.

In order to be more effective in his mission, the Sheriff has formed a partnership with the citizens of Columbia County. This partnership is called, “Volunteers in Partnership with the Sheriff (VIPS).” VIPS is part of the broader range of volunteer services, which also include Search & Rescue, Mounted Posse and Sworn Reserve Deputies. For more information, go here.

Volunteers with the Columbia County Sheriff VIPS program adhere to the values and goals set forth for all employees and volunteers of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office:

VALUES

  • Dedication to achieving the mission of the Sheriff’s Office;
  • Support and Encouragement for positive contributions and innovations in achieving the organization’s goals;
  • Empowerment of employees and volunteers to make decisions that effectively solve community problems; and
  • Development of organizational pride and respect for oneself and others to ensure professional growth and teamwork.

GOALS

  • To protect life, liberty and property;
  • To reduce criminal activity and opportunity;
  • To preserve civil order; and
  • To provide assistance and customer service to the community and to the public safety agencies with which we work—through education, advice, community involvement and proactive law enforcement operations.

We are currently accepting applications for our VIPS Program.  You can obtain an application on-line by going here.