COPs organizer Viola wins national award

Mountain Home police officer Sergeant Rick Viola was named the Citizen Patrol Coordinator of the Year by the National Association Citizens on Patrol on Sept. 6.

Before moving to a different position in the department in June, Viola had been with the COP program since 1996.

The program has come a long way under Viola's leadership and guidance.

When Viola first started working with the newly created program, which had begun in 1993, there were only four or five members. Those members had to drive their own cars with magnetic stickers on the doors and use cell phones to communicate between dispatch and police officers because they didn't have radios to communicate directly with officers.

Viola recalled members wanted to help, but weren't comfortable being identified as the police's eyes and ears. The group also wasn't sure how to meet or what to do.

"They hadn't found their niche yet," Viola said.

Viola, along with Cpl. Stan Winings, who worked with Viola for the first two years, helped the program find more than just its niche.

"We used to walk around with beepers, we didn't know what we were doing," said C.D. Houston, a COP volunteer who has been with the program since its inception. "Rick provided guidance and leadership, he redefined the process."

Houston said he had thought about quitting a few times but stayed because of Viola's guidance, encouragement and motivation.

COP members now wear uniforms and drive retired police cars with radios installed in them. As many as 40 members have participated in the all-volunteer force. Those members now meet twice a month, once for administrative reasons and once for training.

The biggest change is the relationship between police officers and members.

Viola said when the program first started, there wasn't a solidified relationship with the police officers, who weren't sure how to use members and were less likely to call them for help. Viola said he has seen the relationship between officers and members gel together and today police are more likely to call COPS for help, such as helping provide traffic control at an accident scene.

Viola, who was the department's officer of the year in 1997, said it was awesome to be recognized nationally for his work.

Chief John Walter said the award was probably long overdue for one of the department's "biggest assets."

"For a lot of people, being a police officer is a job, but not for Rick," he said. "It's his passion. He's community policing at its best."

Houston said he got involved in the COPS program because he wanted to help his neighborhood and deter crime.

In 1998, the Mountain Home Police Department reported 1,110 offensives to the state's crime report when Mountain Home had a population of approximately 10,000. In 2007, with a population of approximately 14,250, the department reported 1,076 offensives.

Viola credited the COP program for playing a part in keeping the crime rate down in Mountain Home.

The largely self-sufficient program also helps the police department with special events in town, such as the annual Air Force Appreciation Day or the recent Gunfighter Sky airshow that bought an additional 60,000 people to the area. They also help provide funeral escorts when needed.

Police departments in cities such as Twin Falls, Wesier and Parma often request their assistance for events in their communities.

Viola said police departments around the state have called the Mountain Home Police Department for advice on setting up COP programs in their communities and often want to see their bylaws, policies and procedures.

In addition to his national award, Viola also received a certification of appreciation from members of the local program.

"A guy like him is irreplaceable," Houston said.