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What are some of the things the we do? Below are a few of the service programs the SMCPAAA, working directly with the Police Department, has established.
At last count there are 13 service programs that our membership has the opportunity to be involved in. As you can see below, learning does not end at the end of this 12-week course. When you choose to become a member of the Alumni Association you will continue to learn and have an opportunity to make a difference in your community.
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Service Programs
Blue Santa
Kept in separate accounting records and bank account from our general fund, at the request of the San Marcos Police Department the SMCPAAA acts as the department's agent in handling funds for its Blue Santa program. While the police department is responsible for qualifying the families, our members along with other individuals from the department, schools, local businesses, and other organizations help with the purchase, wrapping, and sorting of toys into each of the participating family bundles. We also assist in the toy distribution at the San Marcos Activities Center and accompany the police officers on the delivery day to those families who were not able to pick up their bundles on the distribution day.
Children’s Fingerprinting Program
The SMCPAAA took this project over for the department to free up the time involved for the Crime Prevention Officer. Our members are asked by service organizations, local churches, the movie theatre, etc. to set up and offer free fingerprinting to all children under the age of 12 years. We give the parents of each child a booklet containing that child’s fingerprints for their safekeeping. Members are trained in fingerprinting prior to serving on this project.
Christmas Breakfast
Unfortunately, due to the nature of their jobs many of our San Marcos and Hays County first responders do not have that luxury to celebrate the holidays with their families. Since 2001, Assistant Chief Lisa Dvorak and members of the SMCPAAA have hosted a Christmas morning breakfast for all on-duty San Marcos police officers, Hays County Sheriff deputies, DPS, local fire department and EMS, and Texas State University police officers. We start our Christmas morning early preparing a warm meal for our officers and giving them an opportunity to come together. Members of the community, both business and personal, donate door prizes, food items, or money to purchase breakfast items. The police department takes care of all promotions and notification.
Citizen Police Academy
The police department advertises by article in paper, etc., a new Academy is accepting applications. Applications are screened and confirmed eligible by the PD. The SMCPAAA attends each evening and is in on the agenda for the first 10 minutes of each session for discussion, promotion, questions/answers, etc. with prospective CPAAA members. Our member then assists the PD coordinator (Crime Prevention) with set up, graduation plans, graduation set up, distribution of diplomas, in any manner that will help with the Academy. The President of CPAAA is included on the program to speak at graduation.
Citizens Handicap/Fire Lane Parking Patrol
Using the CPAAA vehicle furnished by the department, our members patrol the local outlet mall, Wal-Mart, Springtown Mall, and HEB, and elsewhere around town for vehicles parked in fire lanes and handicap spaces without the proper hangtags. This service we provide frees up officers and gives them time to spend on other, possibly more important, police matters. Each member must go through training by the PD on ticket writing, court procedures should ticket be contested, radio communications and given a call number before they are allowed to participate for this program.
Community House Watch
The SMCPAAA patrols all city residents who turn in forms indicating that they will be out of town and want us to “watch” their homes. The PD (Crime Prevention) sets up the advertisement/article for the paper, distributes the application forms and collects the applications. SMCPAAA is given a schedule and we patrol in the CPAAA truck at least three times per day those houses. CPAAA members must go through a training course on what to look for, what to and not to do, instructions on radio communications and given a call number before they are allowed to participate in this program. This started out as Holiday house watch (during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays) but was extended to a year-long project.
Homecoming Barbecue
A fairly new program started by the Crime Prevention office, the Police Officer Assn. and the SMCPAAA join together to host a yearly reunion bbq for current and former officers of the SMPD and current and former members of the SMCPAAA. Our members have volunteered to help set up and keep up the buffet line.
National Night Out
CPAAA participates in the National Night Out program by riding along with an officer to each of the neighborhoods and promoting the Citizen Police Academy. PD (Crime Prevention) schedules each member with an officer. Traditionally, the CPAAA President rides with the Chief of Police, the Mayor and the Crime Prevention Officer to as many of the neighborhoods as possible.
Officer of the Month
All SMPD officers are welcome to attend our monthly meetings. Determined at the prior monthly meeting, each month we invite an officer of the San Marcos Police Dept. to our meeting as our Officer of the Month. The officer is encouraged to share information about themselves, their role in the SMPD, and interesting stories they have had both inside and outside of their call of duty. In turn, we invite the officer to get to know our Alumni Assn. in order to build the sense of community between the police department and the Alumni Assn.
Officer Recognition
CPAAA traditionally has been invited to retirement ceremonies of SMPD officers. The President of CPAAA briefly thanks that officer for their contribution to the department, city, CPAAA, etc. and presents them with a $100 check from our organization as a thank you.
Points System
The CPAAA is awarded one point for each hour that they volunteer service towards the organization. The arrangement was set up that once a member reaches 300 points the PD would award that member a leather jacket in recognition and appreciation of service. To date, nine members have received jackets (Rocky & Linda Dietert, McBride Wilson, Robert Fore, Chuck Swhela, Charlene Wood, Greg Wurzbach, Mitsie Benton, and Renee Sample). The jacket is to be presented to the recipient at the first possible CPAAA meeting by the Chief, the Commander, and the coordinator assuming they are available. At the end of each year the CPAAA points coordinator gives the PD a listing of hours volunteered by the CPAAA for their reporting and grant purposes.
Tax Free/Thanksgiving Weekends
To help stimulate the economy, the State of Texas has annually set aside a weekend before the beginning of the public school year as Tax Free Weekend where school supplies, clothes, etc. can be purchased free of sales tax. This creates a traffic situation at our local retail shops and outlet mall. The SMCPAA assists the PD by assisting with traffic control, handicap/fire lane violators, and other duties as requested. We repeat this service during the weekend following Thanksgiving.
Warrant Calling Program
Perhaps you have seen on TV or read in the papers about statewide Warrant Roundups for all outstanding warrants. Our members participate in these by making phone calls one evening the week prior to the roundup offering citizens the opportunity to pay their outstanding fines and avoid being arrested during the roundup. All calls are made from the PD with officer assistance available, and members go through a short training sessions prior to being allowed to participate in this program.
Retired
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
In the past, the SMCPAAA has also assisted in L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Appreciation Day) sponsored by Sac-n-Pac. This event was held at the Confederate Air Hanger. The SMCPAAA, along with the Sheriff’s Academy Alumni members, serve the BBQ lunch, assist with set-up and clean up, etc. that day. We send at least one member, sometimes three, to the planning meetings held at the Sac-n-Pac offices in order to keep up with what the needs of our group are. We also particpated in the “adopt a cop” for the day ($100.00) and was usually one of the officers involved as an instructor in the CPA.
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Fundraising Programs
Garage Sale
The SMCPAAA holds an annual garage sale in the bay area of the PD the third Saturday of September. The PD allows us to store items donated for the garage sale in the bay area and in at least one of the storage rooms allocated to Crime Prevention. SMCPAAA arranges with Crime Prevention to work nights in the bay area sorting and organizing prior to the sale, and to hold the sale on the third Saturday in September from 7-12 noon. All advertising, promotion, etc. is done by the CPAAA.
Mystery Theatre
Probably the most intensive project that CPAAA is involved with. PD (Crime Prevention) takes care of reserving the San Marcos Activities Center and helps solicit officers, PD personnel, etc. for acting spots in the play. The CPAAA is responsible for the entire project and ask for support and assistance when necessary. This is the largest fund raiser we do and basically funds the projects/programs/equipment, etc. that we purchase for the department.
Spent Casing Program
Barrels of spent casings are collected from the SMPD shooting range and are sorted appropriately and taken to recycling facilities for disposition. All funds collected from this program are deposited into CPAAA account and ultimately returned back to department in support of projects/programs.
Texas Natural & Western Swing Festival/Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler
Working with the Main Street organization, The SMCPAAA makes dutch oven peach cobbler at the TX Natural and Western Swing Festival each year. The CPAAA is responsible for scheduling workers, arranging purchase of supplies, pick up and set up of kettles, cooking, clean up and return of cleaned kettles to the Main Street organization. PD (Crime Prevention) has traditionally been on site for a portion of this fundraiser.
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Blue Santa