Patrol volunteer awarded for service
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

Michael Parcher

As a volunteer with the Camarillo Citizen Patrol unit, Michael Parcher gives the city's police department an extra set of eyes and ears.

Parcher, 75, was formally recognized by the City Council on Wednesday night for dedicating 447 hours to the Citizen Patrol in 2007. The longtime Camarillo resident was also recently honored by the Pleasant Valley Lions Club as the Camarillo Citizen Patrol Member of the Year.

Camarillo Citizen Patrol is a community crime prevention program composed of civilians over the age of 21; most of the 34 active members are seniors.

Citizen Patrol members are required to donate a minimum of 16 hours per month; Parcher donates more than 37 hours every month.

For Parcher, everything about his volunteer job is interesting.

"This is fun. I enjoy it all," he said. "We help with citizens- I really like that- and you get to learn what's going on with the rest of the (police) department. You get a better idea of what law enforcement in Ventura County does."

Parcher spends most of his patrol time driving around town in a squad car, hitting all the shopping centers, looking for suspicious activity.

He helps direct traffic during public events, such as high school football games, the Christmas Parade or the Fourth of July fireworks show, or near traffic accidents to relieve regular police officers. Parcher also helps organize Kid Prints, an identification program for youths under 18, at the Camarillo Police Station and search for Alzheimer's patients who have wandered away from their homes or assisted living facilities.

"We're just there as a presence of the police department," Parcher said. "If there's an incident, we can call a deputy. We don't do any law enforcement, we're only an advocate for the city and police."

Parcher also donates his time to other organizations. He's been on the board of directors for the Camarillo Hospice for more than 17 years, and he's president of the board of trustees for his church, the Camarillo Center for Spiritual Living, where he has been a member for 30 years.

A former electronics engineer hired by the U.S. Navy, Parcher has been married to his wife, Jean, for 52 years. They have two adult sons, Kevin and James.

Parcher has also set foot on all seven continents. Last year he visited Antarctica, which he described as having "a lot of ice and a lot of penguins." He has also enjoyed seeing China, Egypt and parts of East Africa.

When he's not traveling, Parcher hopes to continue volunteering with Camarillo Citizen Patrol.