GOOD EXPERIENCE CHP RECRUITING SENIORS TO HELP OUT.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Promoting community involvement and hoping to improve service in the Santa Clarita Valley, the California Highway Patrol is starting a senior volunteer program.

In the next few months, the Newhall office of the CHP plans to train eight to 10 seniors as volunteers to help monitor traffic around schools and in problem neighborhoods, do clerical work and help with other non-enforcement duties.

``It will definitely bring some good interaction with the senior community,'' said CHP Officer Denise Joslin, a community outreach officer. ``I think it will increase our overall service to the community.''

These seniors will drive black-and-white patrol cars with a sticker on the side that will identify them as volunteers. They will be dispatched to high-volume traffic areas in areas outside Santa Clarita city limits and serve as traffic monitors.

``Sometimes you can address a traffic complaint just with the presence of a black-and-white vehicle,'' Joslin said. ``It will free up our officers in working to reduce primary collision factors.''

The volunteer force will watch traffic during pickup and drop-off times at schools and serve as a liaison between the schools and the CHP.

``If we have violations that are still occurring we can assign an officer to do enforcement,'' Joslin said. ``We hope that it will reduce the problems and reduce the time an officer will have to spend with that.''

Volunteers will also assist in clerical duties, including answering phones, filing and data entry.

They also might work with the auto mechanics or with a school bus officer fingerprinting and filing applications.

``Essentially they can do anything that pertains to their interest that is not enforcement-type,'' Joslin said. ``It's a great program.''

For Armando ``Art'' Tazio of Canyon Country, the program will allow him to realize a lifelong dream.

``I've always wanted to be a CHP officer,'' Tazio said. ``This is a delayed, long dream come true.''

Although Tazio passed all the tests when he applied in 1961 with the CHP at age 24, he didn't meet the 5 feet 9 inches height requirement.

``It was quite a shock,'' Tazio said. ``I was frustrated.''

Tazio went on to work as a civilian employee with the Los Angeles Police Department for eight years and later worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for 22 years. He retired in 1998.

Tazio was at the Santa Clarita Senior Center when CHP officers were posting fliers introducing the program. Excited about the opportunity, Tazio went directly from the senior center to the CHP office, picked up an application and returned it the next day.

``This is just perfect,'' Tazio said. ``After the World Trade Center fiasco, President Bush and the Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge asked for us to volunteer in our communities. I was leaning toward the Sheriff's Department, but now I can realize my dream.'

In order to qualify to be a volunteer, the seniors must be at least 55 and retired. They must have their own insurance and can buy supplemental insurance while participating in the volunteer program.

``We'd like them to be able to work with minimal supervision,'' Joslin said.

Volunteers may be required to stand for long periods of time and may not have a felony record.

The volunteers will be required to buy their own uniforms, must contribute a minimum of 16 hours a month and attend a monthly meeting.

The program began in California earlier this year, and is already in place at the Lancaster office of the CHP. Besides the local office, the volunteer effort will also be starting at the West Valley and the West Los Angeles offices.

Applications are currently available at the CHP's Newhall office at 28648 N. The Old Road, and will be accepted until Dec. 14.

For information, contact Joslin at [phone].

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(color) Officers Denise Joslin, left, and Tony Getzelman of the CHP talk to Art Tazio, 64, about his application to volunteer.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News