Sarah Lawson

St. Joseph resident Ron Green drives a golf cart along St. Joseph’s Parkway System near Ashland Avenue and Noyes Boulevard. Mr. Green is a trails watch volunteer for the Police Department and patrols several hike and bike trails throughout town.

St. Joseph resident Ron Green spends a few hours a day driving a golf cart along various trails in St. Joseph.

This is Mr. Green’s second year as a trails watch volunteer for the St. Joseph Police Department.

“It’s just a good way to get out on the trail on a nice day and meet people — and they thank you and everything, so it’s just a good experience,” Mr. Green said.

Police need volunteers like Mr. Green to help patrol the hike and bike trails, such as the Bartlett Park Trail and Corby Parkway, in an effort to help keep community members safe. The volunteer watch program was launched by the Police Department after a woman was assaulted on the Parkway System a few years ago.

Police Sgt. Greg Gilpin said volunteers will spend a few hours a day patrolling numerous areas throughout town. The volunteers are there to watch for anything suspicious, talk to people and give directions.

There also will be officers riding bicycles along the trail system. All vehicles, bikes and volunteers will have identification. Mr. Gilpin said volunteers can’t enforce any laws on the trails. They do, however, go through training with police before patrolling.

“If they spot something that doesn’t look right, they call us and we send the regular officers out. It just gives us a presence out on the trail system, which is expanding,” Mr. Gilpin said. “Hopefully, it makes people feel like they’re a little safer.”

The Trails Watch Program operates 12 hours a day, seven days a week and will continue throughout the summer. If you would like to volunteer, contact Sgt. Gilpin at 271-4882. Volunteers work in four-hour shifts starting at 8 a.m.