Every day, puts on his white uniform, jumps into his squad car and patrols the streets of Malibu.
Armed with a two-way radio and cellphone, Villefort and a group of about eight other local residents in the Malibu Volunteers on Patrol program spend their free time helping keep the community safe.
"I have only eight volunteers, but I am looking to fill this up into a real organization and have 20 to 30 members patrolling every day," said Villefort, who has volunteered for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in various ways for the past 16 years.
The Malibu VOP program, a collaborative effort between the city and the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station, began last year through the efforts of a PCH safety ad-hoc committee that includes Mayor Laura Zahn Rosenthal and Mayor Pro Tem Lou La Monte. It is one of four VOP programs associated with Malibu/Lost Hills, with the others located in Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village.
The program includes a new white squad car decorated with Malibu's city emblem.
"We are planning to install a GPS unit too," said Villefort with enthusiasm.
In spite of a new paint job and technological improvements, the program is still lacking one major component—more volunteers.
"I do this to help my community and give something back," said Villefort, who often scours Malibu in search of volunteers. "We don't get paid. But there are some people who ask what I get for this. 'You get a great uniform and you get the glory of being a good guy,' I tell them."
For Villefort, the rewards of the job are the contacts he makes with the people of Malibu.
"You run into people you wouldn't normally [and they] really appreciate to have somebody watch their backs," he said.
The service that Villefort and the other volunteers provide is not just for show—it provides needed assistance to a sheriff's station that does not have the manpower for regular patrols of the entire Malibu area.
"[The program] allows and enhances our ability out there because it gives us more eyes and ears on the field," said Malibu/Lost Hills Deputy Shawn Brownell.
The volunteers don't have to fill out incident reports, write citations or make arrests like deputies do, which better enables them to be on constant patrol. The program is great for people who want to help their community and have a more proactive role in it, Brownell said.
Ultimately, the VOP program will give more opportunities for sheriff's deputies to patrol PCH and other critical areas of the city, Mayor Pro Tem La Monte said. One of the interesting things in Malibu is that there are a number of people who volunteer and care about their community, he said. The program is a reflection of that community spirit.
"[Villefort] is a treasure and he is one of the true gems in Malibu," La Monte said.
Those who wish to join the program need to be at least 18 years old, able to pass a background check and capable of dedicating a minimum of 16 hours per month to the program.
To find out more about the program, contact Deputy Brownell at 818-878-5506 or swbrowne@lasd.org. Villefort can also be reached at 310-317-9819 or VAManagement@aol.com.
