ROCKFORD, Mich. — Bob Ungrey and Robert Barrett were looking after a neighbor's home, checking windows and doors while the homeowner was on vacation.
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"Locked and secured," Barrett called out. "We look for forced entry, and if any windows are broken."
After completing the check, Ungrey confirmed: "Basically, everything looks good at this address we checked."
The two are members of the Rockford Volunteer Services Unit, a 20-person group created in 2006 to help police officers keep an eye on the city.
"We love helping the community out, getting to know the community," Barrett said.
The unit does more than vacation home checks. Members patrol neighborhoods, monitor parks, and assist with parking enforcement — including handicap parking, fire lanes, and time limit parking. They also help identify city code violations.
"We just patrol the neighborhood every street," Ungrey said. "We just want our presence known, and that will leave the officers to do their job, so we kind of supplement them."
Incoming Rockford Department of Public Safety Chief Brandon Boelema says the volunteers serve as ambassadors for the department while freeing up officers for other police work.
"They're another face in the uniform for us and promoting the good that we do in the community," Boelema said.
Boelema added that the group's range of assignments has expanded over the years.
"We utilize them for helping out with parking issues. They check for handicap parking, fire lanes, time limit parking, and then we've actually even gone so far as to incorporate them going around the city and helping us with some city code violations," he said.
Volunteers work in pairs for four hours, one day a week. For Ungrey and Barrett, the community response to their work makes it worthwhile.
"[Residents] react very, very well, unless they get a ticket," Ungrey said with a laugh.
Barrett said residents are generally appreciative. "They say thanks for your service. Thank you for helping out and doing what you do."
Residents interested in applying to become a volunteer or requesting a vacation home check can click here to go to the City of Rockford's website..
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