Overview
- Volunteers are not police officers and serve as a visible link who listen, talk with residents, and report small hazards or nuisances.
- The Interior Ministry counts about 275 active helpers across 97 municipalities as of late 2025.
- They patrol only in safe areas and call trained police if a situation escalates, with pepper spray allowed only for self-defense.
- Recruitment continues with applications open for this year's training course and a July 5 deadline.
- Police screen candidates to weed out would-be sheriffs, stress the show presence–observe–report credo, and set tasks with local councils.