OFF THE JOB BUT ON DUTY, THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Byline: Bettie Rencoret Senior columnist

Jim Beale, Ron Stegeman and Don Fuller are three senior citizens who, in retirement, continue to make a valuable contribution to the welfare of their community.

They are all members of Volunteers On Patrol, a uniformed, unarmed citizens patrol organized by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to assist county deputies.

``Not all of the men and women who wear these uniforms are senior citizens, but a lot of them are,'' said Beale, a Hughes Aircraft retiree who is the Lancaster VOP team leader. ``There are 4,200 VOP members throughout the county, and 200 work out of this station.''

The volunteers differ from reserve officers in that they are not sworn deputies.

``We don't carry guns or make arrests,'' he said. ``Primarily, we are the eyes and ears of the department. We cruise neighborhoods to check them out and make sure everything is all right.''

The patrol's main goal is preventing crime. Beale said he doesn't know the actual extent of its effectiveness but he thinks it is considerable.

``On the volunteer cars, we still carry the sheriff's star,'' he said. ``And of course, our appearance in shopping centers, parks and whatever is a deterrent. People see that star, and it makes them more cautious. We know that makes a difference, but we have no idea how many crimes we may have stopped.''

The volunteers check homes of people on vacation.

``If they tell us there's a green Cadillac in the driveway that'll be there until they get back a month later and we drive up there and that Cadillac's gone, then we'll report that crime right away,'' Beale said. ``It'll be that many days sooner that it gets into the works to find that car, maybe even before the people get back.''

``We look around for anything else that's abnormal,'' Fuller said. ``We pick up any stray newspapers and put them on the porch. Things like that. And we write parking violation tickets.''

They also direct traffic at serious crashes, parades and special events.

``Anything we do like that frees up a deputy,'' he said. ``That's especially crucial at an accident scene. We get out there and direct traffic so that the deputies can take care of the more important aspects of the situation.''

All of the volunteers have received CPR and first aid training.

They all assist in a variety of functions, including searching for missing children, assisting the gang detail and the detective bureau, and serving on the ``mamas and papas'' team.

The ``mamas and papas'' team is a group of volunteers who take charge of the children of parents who have been arrested. The volunteers offer love and security until someone from the Los Angeles County Department of Child Protective Services arrives to take over.

Beale said the volunteer program began as Volunteers Organized to Improve Community Environment in 1991, a year before he joined.

``But a lot of people felt that name was too complicated and required too many explanations, so it was changed about a year ago to simply VOP,'' Fuller said. ``That seems to be more easily understood.''

Fuller came to Antelope Valley in 1995 when he retired from his job as program and marketing manager for Hughes Aircraft. He got involved in VOP at the suggestion of his wife.

``She saw an ad or something in the paper and thought it looked like something I might be interested in, so I got an application and signed up,'' he said.

In addition to his VOP work, Fuller is a licensed private investigator and shortly after arriving in the valley, he started his own business, Advanced Investigations.

Stegeman, a retired newspaper production manager, is a comparative newcomer to the team, with 700-plus hours to his credit.

Beale, Stegeman and Fuller all agree they enjoy their work. ``We're proud of the new station, and we're proud to be assisting the high-caliber personnel we work with,'' Fuller said.

``Mainly, we feel we make a differTence. That really makes us proud,'' Beale said.

LANCASTER - Seniors who want to end the 20th century with a bang should plan to attend the End of the Century celebration set for Dec. 28 in the multipurpose room at the Antelope Valley Senior Center, 777 W. Jackman St.

Festivities will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and will include entertainment by Guest Artist Productions and refreshments by the Friends of the Center.

Call [phone] to make reservations.

Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and Pearblossom have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk for the suggested donation of $2.

Monday: Polish sausage, parsley potatoes, cooked cabbage, garden salad, oatmeal cookies.

Tuesday: Crispy chicken, mashed potatoes, beets, carrot-raisin salad, banana.

Wednesday: Beef tips, noodles, broccoli, lettuce and tomato salad, ice cream.

Thursday: Turkey with bread dressing, butternut squash, tossed salad, apple juice, fruit.

Friday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, coleslaw, orange Jell-O with pineapple.

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PHOTO Ron Stegeman, left, Jim Beale and Don Fuller are members of Volunteers On Patrol, a citizens group that assists county deputies.

Bettie Rencoret/Special to the Daily News