The Dallas Police department's Volunteers in Patrol (VIP) program is a local effort that brings together residents and the police to provide visible neighborhood street and alley presence to deter criminal activity. Each VIP participant receives 6 hours of training by the Dallas Police Department to learn how to recognize and properly report suspicious activity to the police. The police department performs background checks on each participant as well.
In April of 2008 fifteen PHA members signed up for the Prestonwood Homeowners Association (PHA) VIP program. Once training and background checks were completed the PHA VIP started patrols in our neighborhood in June of 2008.
Participants in the VIP program work with the City of Dallas Police and the Prestonwood PID police officer. Volunteers patrol in two-person teams on two-hour shifts chosen by them. They are non-confrontational acting only as witnesses then report incidents, problems and suspicious activities to the police department and our PID officer. Patrol hours are random and can be any time of the day or night.
Having PHA's concerned residents proactively patrolling our streets and alleys sends a clear message to everyone that we do not tolerate crime. Their visible presence DOES reduce crime; other nearby neighborhoods with long-standing VIP programs have the statistics to prove it.
We would love for you to join the VIP group. We only ask a minimum of 2 hours a month.
If you have any questions please contact prestonwoodpha@gmail.com or stop any VIP patrol for more information.