Community Support Services

The Community Support Services Unit partners Sheriff’s Office staff with volunteers to foster community relationships and promote participation in law enforcement programs and services. Efforts include solving neighborhood concerns, proactively addressing crime prevention, coordinating disaster preparedness, and supporting community events. 

The Community Support Services Unit coordinates several volunteer programs and community engagement efforts.

Crime prevention

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit works closely with community members, organizations, and businesses to prevent and reduce crime and victimization through a wide variety of community policing, crime prevention and public education programs. By engaging and working with neighborhoods, this unit ensures our community remains a safe place to live and work.

The Crime Prevention Unit also seeks to proactively anticipate and recognize criminal activity and initiates programs designed to eliminate or reduce crime.

• Neighborhood Watch
• Night to Unite - August 6, 2024
• Property (House) Watch. Use this form to notify the Sheriff's Patrol when you will be away from your home for an extended period time. 
• Prevention tips

Volunteer with the Sheriff's Office

• Volunteer opportunities

Business Resources

Local businesses are important members of the communities we serve. Safety is always important for customers and staff. The Sheriff's Office recognizes that each business has unique operations and circumstances that influence safety and crime prevention.

• Business Contact Information Form (pdf) help by providing accurate contact information in the event of an incident
• Civil Unrest Preparation for Businesses (pdf)
• March 2021 Awareness Letter (pdf)

Citizen Academy - learn more about the Sheriff's Office

The Sheriff's Office has held Citizen Academies since 1996. The Academy is taught by front-line employees who take participants on a behind the scenes journey of the work and activities of the Sheriff’s Office.

The 2020 Academy was conducted on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, beginning Wednesday, January 8 and concluding February 26, 2020. Locations varied dependent upon the topics of the evening.  

The course is designed to give citizens a better understanding of the duties, responsibilities, equipment, training and facilities of the Sheriff’s Office. Topics include patrol procedures, K-9, criminal investigations, crime scene processing, narcotics, crime prevention and the communication center (911 system).  The academy also includes the topics of court orders, civil process, criminal history, and warrants.  In addition to classroom sessions, participants will receive tours of the patrol station, the adult detention center (jail), and other Sheriff's Office facilities.

There is no fee, the only commitment is that participants are asked to attend all sessions. At the conclusion of the academy, graduates receive a certificate of completion.  Participants will also be offered volunteer opportunities to continue their partnership with law enforcement.

Applicants must be 18 years of age, pass a criminal history background check, and preference is given to those available to attend all of the sessions. Look for information about future Citizen Academy in the first or second quarter of 2024.

Scouting Day

Scouting Day 2020 was held on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at the Ramsey County Public Works facility in Arden Hills, Minnesota. Plans for 2023 will be dependent upon state guidelines for safe community gatherings.

Scouting Day is a special event where Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts learn about the work performed by public safety agencies in Ramsey County. The annual event includes educational activities, equipment displays and demonstrations. Youth and families can interact with deputies, officers, and volunteers from Crime Prevention, DARE, K-9 Unit, S.W.A.T. Team, Water Patrol Dive Team, Youth Explorer Post, Community Support Services, County Public Works, Emergency Management, Allina Ambulance, Lake Johanna Fire Department, Salvation Army, Army National Guard and more.​

Hot Dog with a Deputy - Summer events

On summer evenings, the Sheriff's Office Public Safety Services Division visits community parks and neighborhoods in the contract communities, bringing along a variety of squad cars and equipment, including a restored food trailer once used by the Salvation Army.  Sheriff staff is on hand to interact with and get to know neighborhood residents, aided with the draw of hot dogs, chips, bottled water and frozen fun pops served FREE of charge, thanks to a generous donation from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Foundation.