They don't all have badges, wear blue uniforms or carry guns, but the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department has about 250 people working for it—on and off the payroll.

With such services as the Pipes and Drums Corps, Volunteers in Policing and a crime analyst unit, the department is trying to redefine just how it can protect and serve the community.

Volunteer Programs

Four years ago, the Pipes and Drums Corps was developed by pipe major Jay Tuttle. It started with only three members, but now 45 uniformed bagpipers and drummers—each with a Scottish kilt and police shirt—play at various community events, including funerals, parades and memorial services.

In May, the team traveled to Washington, D.C. It cost the volunteer service, which is funded by the members, nearly $18,000 to participate in Police Week at the nation's capital. Twenty-two band members played alongside 19 other police bands—in pouring rain.

At the town council meeting on Aug. 1, Tuttle presented police Chief Scott Seaman with a commendation from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, which extended praise for the chief's support of California's biggest police band, and only California band to go to the capital.

"Pipes and drums have been regularly representing the Bay Area and now nationally," Seaman said.

"It's a very unique group within law enforcement. Not many law enforcement agencies have these. They are just unbelievably committed to their music and representing law enforcement," Seaman added.

The program started in 2001 after Tuttle wrote a letter to then-Chief Larry Todd, which described the significance of having the band, Tuttle said.

"Back in the olden days, a lot of police officers were Irish. When one of them died, they pulled out the bagpipes," Tuttle said. At the funerals, the most common song they play is "Amazing Grace," which is what the band performed at the funeral of fallen San Jose soldier Pat Tillman.

Tuttle, who was raised in Buffalo, N.Y., said it is very common to have pipe and drum bands on the East Coast, but very few exist on the West Coast.

While participants in the pipe and drum band need to have some sort of musical background, they don't need to know much about police work, unlike another volunteer program in the department.

Volunteers in Policing—also called VIPs—are individuals who devote their time to the department by performing such services as doing vacation house checks, computer data entry, traffic control and front counter support.

They are required to take a 20-hour course, along with other training, in preparation to volunteer.

The program started in 1994 after Todd asked volunteer coordinator Gwen Cross to try to develop a volunteer organization.

With few similar programs like it at that time, Cross said she modeled it after the volunteer organization at Stockton's police department.

"It allows the police department to provide more services to the community," Cross said.

Since the program started, Cross has received many calls from other departments asking for advice on how to form a volunteer organization.

"The volunteers are working in the police department every work day, doing many different things," Seaman said of the 45 volunteers. "They're doing real work for us. They're helping us patrol and keep the community safe. They're great eyes and ears for us." Seaman developed the volunteer program at the San Jose Police Department in 1996.

"This is a great example of members of the community being connected with the police department," he said.

Other volunteer programs include the reserves (nine officers), the explorers (13 members ages 14 to 21) and the disaster aid response team (60 volunteers).

"On a day to day basis, we use volunteers for a variety of important tasks to support every part of police department," Seaman said.

Specialty Units

On the payroll, the department has created specialty units to help satisfy different interests and needs in the community. These specialty programs include the canine unit, bike team, SWAT team and range masters, which is responsible for training personal about deadly force and firearms.

One of that units that has advanced during recent years is the crime analyst unit, headed by Jenette Osborne.

Osborne always wanted to be a cop. Her father was a detective for the Los Angeles Police Department, her grandfather was a commander at the LAPD and she had many uncles and cousins in police work.

Osborne considered working as a police officer, but opted to go for her master's degree in criminology at Indiana State University.

Now, Osborne's behind-the-scenes work leaves an imprint on nearly every investigation conducted by the police department.

Osborne took over the crime analyst unit for the department in 2001. Officially, the unit started about 10 years ago, but much of the work was related to information technology, not analyzing crime, Osborne said.

"It has served the department well. Jenette has done a lot to protect, prevent and solve," Seaman said.

After one year, Osborne moved over to the investigation unit, where she is today. She is an integral part of the bureau, as she looks for trends, helps link criminals to other crimes and supports the officers and detectives with background information about their investigations.

While Osborne said she is interested in understanding criminal psychology, especially regarding rapists and serial killers, she has had to apply other aspects of her studies to Los Gatos, which had only one homicide and five rapes in 2004.

"We haven't had a lot of hard-core crimes," she said. Osborne thinks some of the crimes here, which involve some type of theft, including identity theft, auto burglaries or mail theft, are related to supporting a criminal's drug habit.

"But it's a hard thing to statistically prove," Osborne said.

She said she likes working in a small department because she can spot trends quicker than she might be able to in a larger department.

POLICE ACTION

Specialty Units and Teams

Patrol Team

SWAT Team

Bike Team

Canine Unit

Crisis Incident Team

Defensive Tactics Instructor

Crime Scene Investigation Technician

Field Training Officer

Peer Support Team

Range Masters

Recruiting Team

Hostage Negotiation Team

Volunteer Programs

Reserves

Volunteers in Policing

Disaster Aide Response Team

Pipe and Drum Corps