Position Responsibilities/Duties: Patrol Driver

The patrol drivers are assigned to the Operations Section under the direction of the Operations Section Manager. Community Watch patrol personnel are on duty 24/7/365. There are 48 patrol drivers per 24-hour period (i.e., a driver in each of the 14 patrol regions x 3 eight-hour shifts and 6 Square drivers - 3 squares x 2 six-hour shifts). Additionally, there is a full-time patrol supervisor assigned to the North area and one assigned to the South area during each of the three shifts for a total of six per day. The primary duties of the Community Watch patrol drivers are to patrol their assigned neighborhoods and respond to calls for assistance from our residents and visitors.

During the period of January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 Community Watch drivers patrolled our 106 neighborhoods, 105,220 times and responded to requests for assistance 54,255 times. This amount totals 37.73% of all the service actions performed by Community Watch personnel. Another major responsibility of the patrol drivers includes assisting other District Departments and local law enforcement agencies. Patrol drivers report maintenance concerns to District Property Management (DPM) and Commercial Property Management (CPM) and assist the Recreation Department by checking the neighborhood pools during the day and closing those pools in the evening at dusk.

The following are just some of the many duties assigned to patrol drivers:

1. Performs continuous patrol of assigned area during assigned shift.
2. Assists law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services and The Villages Public Safety Department by directing traffic at emergency scenes.
3. Performs security checks at the neighborhood pools throughout the day and secure the pools at dusk every night.
4. Checks the security of all District buildings after closing time, including the main District office building and all recreation facilities.
5. Assists the Recreation Department in opening outdoor recreation facilities and put water out at pickleball and tennis courts during holidays.
6. Responds to calls for service from residents.
7. Responds to requests for well-being checks for residents enrolled in the Adult Watch Program. This is a critical service provided to all residents and a service that is greatly appreciated by our residents and their loved ones. For additional information about the Adult Watch Program, please click here.
8. Responds to BOLO’s (Be On the Look Out) issued by law enforcement, usually related to a lost person with Alzheimer’s or other medical issues.
9. Observes and reports all maintenance repair issues, utility issues involving water, or malfunctioning lights, during the day or night. All needed repairs are reported to the appropriate service agencies every day so that the repairs are done in a timely fashion.
10. House Check Program. We perform home security checks for residents who are away for over 7 days. This is a very popular program, in which the driver physically walks around the home to look for signs of problems, such as an open door, a broken window, signs of forced entry, etc. In 2022 Community Watch patrol drivers performed over 15,200 House Checks! For additional information on this program, please click here.
11. Assists gate attendants when openings cannot be filled, or assists the gate attendants with relief, as necessary.
12. Repairs damaged gate arms when observed or reports to dispatch for District Property Management (DPM) assistance.
13. Checks RV lot(s) if within assigned patrol area or as directed.
14. Obtains information related to large moving vehicles and ensure vehicles do not cause damage.
15. Checks Executive Golf Courses after hours to ensure safety.
16. Picks up hazardous debris and also dead animals in roadways, if it can be done safely.
17. Provides support during Special Events operations within The Villages, including the town squares, as requested
18. Reports all water restriction violations to the proper authority.
19. Assists Villages Public Safety Department (Fire Department), other District Departments and outside agencies handle depression concerns by providing security of site and traffic control.
20. Meets with Lifestyle participants to ensure they arrive at their designated location for their stay here in The Villages.

Finally, Community Watch also has patrol drivers and walkers assigned to our three town squares. These individuals are scheduled mostly during the weekend, evening and early morning hours. They are assigned to assist local law enforcement, report any incidents as necessary and provide assistance to our residents and visitors.