OCALA POLICE DEPARTMENT

The City of Ocala Police Department's City Watch Program was created in 2002. The first City Watch Academy class graduated seven citizen volunteers, five of whom still remain with the program. The City Watch Officers, on average, have given over 4,880 hours of their time assisting the citizens of Ocala each year. They have logged over 2,500 security checks and generate 3,000 activity numbers each year.

Currently, there are 16 active members of the unit. The Ocala Police Department is currently conducting a new City Watch Academy and will graduate an additional 16 volunteers. The City Watch Officers operate specially marked vehicles and conduct various duties alongside sworn patrol officers. These duties consist of assisting at traffic crashes, crime scene security, patrolling business parking lots looking for suspicious activity, citing handicap parking violators, traffic safety surveys, background investigations on new hires, information desk at Police Headquarters and the Mall Office, and various other assigned duties.

The City of Ocala utilizes the City Watch Officers at the following functions:

• Ocala Christmas Parade

• Light Up Ocala

• Light the Night

• Fine Arts for Ocala

• Martin Luther King Celebration

• Red Ribbon Week

• Safe Halloween

• Papas Easter Egg Hunt

For more information please contact Keith Escaravage at  kescaravage@ocalapd.org.