New volunteer bike group to provide security on ODT

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Volunteers seeking to provide safety are rolling onto trails near you.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office announced last week the “roll out” of the Olympic Discovery Trail Patrol Auxiliary Team, a group staffed by volunteers that are directed by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.

The goal of the team is to provide additional resources to patrol the Olympic Discovery Trail. While the volunteers have no law enforcement authority, group members observe and report to law enforcement suspicious or criminal behavior, safety issues and ideas for environmental designs that may help in crime prevention.

The Olympic Discovery Trail Patrol Auxiliary Team will patrol predominately on bicycles wearing brightly colored jackets with CCSO insignia, making them clearly identifiable to the public as volunteers.

Team members have received training on self-defense, trail etiquette, positive public contacts and first aid in accordance with the sheriff’s office’s mission, vision and values, group organizers said.

The team, organizers say, is looking to work with community partners such as Rediscovery, Peninsula Behavioral Health, the Peninsula Trails Coalition and Neighborhood Watch groups to identify the areas along the trail that could use increased attention.