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Folks in the neighborhoods of Lucas County, Ohio, are used to seeing sheriffs cruise by on routine patrols. What they may not know is that the county's finest – who are also UAW Local 3056 members – put in hours of their own time, partnering with citizens and local law enforcement.
What started as simply as Neighborhood Watch efforts in the early 1980s has evolved into community policing a decade later. The UAW members' mission is to build partnerships with community volunteers that create safer neighborhoods.
"We're part of the community. We're here because of the community. The resources provided to the sheriff's office are a direct result of the community's tax dollars. We have a responsibility to give back," said Aaron Nolan, a Lucas County sheriff and Local 3056 president.
The local is made up of about 455 noncommand workers from the Lucas County Sheriff's Office, including sheriffs and deputies, corrections officers, clerks, counselors and janitorial staff. The unit joined the UAW in 2006 after a previous affiliation.
"We wanted to be represented by a union that would go to bat for us and be at the table defending our rights, making sure our voice was heard. Our area is directly correlated with the UAW," said Nolan. "I have several family members that have been UAW for 30 years or more. I take pride in being a UAW member."
Another example of the local's community outreach is volunteering for the child fingerprinting program, which is funded by federal grants for supplies and has one full-time member assigned. Local 3056 volunteers conduct fingerprinting for children at area events.
"This is a parent's opportunity to put an extra safety measure in place. God forbid, if someone has to go through the tragedy of needing their child's fingerprints, at least they'll have them and they're a step ahead a lot of parents in ensuring the safety of their child," he said.
Other popular programs benefiting from the unit's volunteer efforts are the Police Athletic League (PAL), where the slogan is "filling playgrounds, not prisons." Children can participate in nearly every sport, from boxing to baseball and bowling to cheerleading. There's even sewing and Cub Scouts.
Since it was founded in 1983, the federally funded DARE program (which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education) continues to teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and pursue productive drug-free and violence-free lives.
Nolan called the local's volunteer efforts a "win-win all around."
"It's a good opportunity for kids to see us coming and not be instantly apprehensive because a cop is around, and knowing that we're there because we genuinely care," he added. "It's a trust-building opportunity for everyone. It helps us because we get to see some kids in a different element and that helps us stay open minded."
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