Advancements in DNA research have allowed citizens a means of easily collecting DNA samples from their children or other “at risk” loved ones (e.g., senior citizens with Alzheimer Disease) and storing the samples for many years for possible use in identifying a missing person. This is an activity LPCSTI members are frequently called upon to perform at grade school or church events, store grand openings, and during Town of Leesburg special events. Support Team members meet members of the public at these events and provide them with DNA identification kits purchased by the Team and instruct the public on how to use the kits and store the DNA samples collected.

Occasionally, the Leesburg Police Department requests LPCSTI assistance in operating the manual radar speed display unit. This activity involves parking the Support Team Community Patrol cruiser alongside a Town street, a safe distance off the traveled portion of the roadway, mounting the automatic speed display board on top of the cruiser, and aiming the radar gun at oncoming vehicles to indicate to their drivers the drivers vehicle’s speed.

LPCSTI neighborhood patrol is an extension of the eyes and ears of the Leesburg Police Department. Neighborhood patrol involves patrolling the Town streets, alleys, parks, business district, shopping centers, and new home or business construction sites to observe and report criminal or public safety situations in the Town which may require intervention by trained law enforcement and/or medical personnel. This activity may be performed at any time, day or night. LPCSTI members have spotted and reported robbery and breaking and entering suspects, vandals, suspicious vehicles and persons, drunk drivers, fires, and natural gas leaks.

While neighborhood patrols are most frequently performed in a vehicle, foot patrols or bike patrols may also be conducted by Team members in the Town of Leesburg.

The Town of Leesburg has frequent parades, funerals, and special events and LPCSTI members perform a variety of duties at these events, including: traffic direction, crowd control, directing visitors to Town and area landmarks, searching for lost children/parents, and watching for any medical emergencies that may occur.

Little or no notice is given for an emergency call-out of the Support Team. Past instances requiring call-outs have included a large funeral, a barricade/threatened suicide situation, a major natural gas pipeline leak, serious traffic accidents, major traffic accidents, and damaging storms. Team members have been called with little notice to respond for duties involving traffic direction, crowd control, storm damage assessment, and lost child searches at all hours of the day and night.

LPCSTI members who have participated in the Leesburg Police Department traffic direction training will invariably get an opportunity to put that training to use within a month or so. This is an important but potentially dangerous duty, but one which gives the Leesburg Police Department vital assistance in major disasters or traffic accidents.

The Leesburg Police Department endorses the concept of community policing in the Town of Leesburg and LPCSTI is an integral part of this effort. An individual Town police officer has been assigned to each sector to meet with residents and merchants in that sector, listen to their concerns about crime and public safety, and to work with them on permanent solutions. LPCSTI assists the Police Department in instituting the community policing concept and provides support to the individual officers in meeting and working with sector residents and merchants.

Frequently, that support involves distributing community policing meeting fliers throughout the sector or providing assistance to a police officer at community policing or home owner association meetings or events. Participation in community policing meetings with the assigned police officer gives LPCSTI members an appreciation of what crime and public safety problems exist in various sectors of the Town and may result in Team members being more alert to problem areas during neighborhood patrols.

Occasionally, during school special events or other special events, LPCSTI will be called upon to bring McGruff, the Crime Dog, to the event. A McGruff costume is available from the Leesburg Police Department and a Support Team member will wear the costume and assist in helping children at the event learn more about safety.

LPCSTI members are available and may be called upon to assist the Leesburg Police Department as requested. This assistance may involve a variety of duties such as: helping organize and carry out functions associated with the annual Police Department Motorcycle Poker Run, performing administrative tasks or doing statistical analysis, providing telephone responses in disasters, or helping an officer install a child car seat for a citizen parent.