Local mountain resident Harold Hoyt is a Sheriff’s volunteer at the substation on the Loma Prieta School campus. Mr. Hoyt has been serving the local community for 13 years. In 2009, Mr. Hoyt received an award from the Sheriff’s office for ten years of outstanding volunteer service.
Sheriff's volunteer Harold Hoyt at the Sheriff's sub station. Photo by Anthony Petrillo.
Hiway17: “Harold, how long has this Sheriff’s substation been here?”
Hoyt: “Well, according to my little plaque over there, it started in 1999. We were originally in the old CT building. After the earthquake they moved us down to the fire station and then after they got everything back going again, they moved us back here.”
Hiway17: “When did you become a volunteer Sheriff here?”
Hoyt: “Like I said. 1999. When it first started as a substation, my wife and I and several others were here. We’re down in numbers at the moment. Some of our previous members passed away.”
Hiway17: “How does one become a Sheriff’s volunteer?”
Hoyt: “Well, you just talk to us and we have a form you can fill out. You fill out this form and send it in, they check you out and make sure you’re… not a felon.”
Hiway17: “No criminal record?”
Hoyt: “No criminal record. That’s one good thing. You get fingerprinted too. And they have training, and this morning I spoke to the sergeant who’s in charge of this area, training for people. We have a turnover in personnel just like most jobs, so you need to have a continuation going. Some people just feel like they’ve had enough. They retire. Some of them, more elderly, they just can’t do it any more. Some times I think I’m getting up in that area.”
Hiway17: “What’s it like being a Sheriff’s volunteer in this community?”
Hoyt: “I’m only speaking for myself. Personally, I enjoy it. People know me, and I don’t know who they are, but I see their faces, and I speak to them. It’s a good feeling. On Friday afternoons, when school gets out, I direct traffic right over here on the intersection by the two schools. I do not go out on the road.”
Hiway17: “You don’t go out on Summit Road?”
Hoyt: “No, I do not. It’s hectic enough right over here. The fact is, I was gone for a couple of weeks in October and November, and when I got back somebody said, I’m glad to see you back.”
Hiway17: “When you’re on duty here, do you drive a squad car?”
Hoyt: “No, we have no vehicle here. It would not actually be a squad car per-say. It would be a volunteer car. We do not carry firearms or anything like that. We strictly write minor reports and assist in other things wherever we can. We have gone down to the Wharf-to-Wharf Race and helped with the traffic. We go to the Santa Cruz County Fair usually in September and assist with the child ID equipment, and at the Firemen’s Barbecue I usually have child ID equipment up here, and at the craft fare in December.”
Hiway17: “Child ID, is that where they fingerprint the children?”
Hoyt: “On the form we print the first and last name, it’s up to the parents for the rest of it. We take a picture, we take the fingerprints and use a Q-Tip for a DNA swab, and on the back of the form is a place for dental records. We hand that to the parents or guardian, and we delete it off our computer. We keep no information.”
Hiway17: “I understand you served in the U.S. Air Force?”
Hoyt: “I did 25 years active duty and seven and a half years active reserve.”
Hiway17: “Were you a pilot?”
Hoyt: “No, no, I maintained the air traffic control radar. I’ve been stationed in Mississippi, Texas, England, Korea and Alaska.”
Hiway17: “Were you in a combat zone?”
Hoyt: “No, the closest I ever got was when I was in Korea, that was during Vietnam.”
Hiway17: “What’s your favorite TV show?”
Hoyt: “I watch TV, but as to my favorite at the present moment, I like the NCIS, CSI and some of the others, you know? Sometimes I get to watching Antique Roadshow or some other documentary.”
Hiway17: “Do you watch the TV series Cops?”
Hoyt: “No, I don’t. My son does, I believe, since he is a cop.”
Hiway17: “Is he a cop in this community?”
Hoyt: “San Jose. He’s been there about eleven years now.”
Hiway17: “Would you say this community needs more Sheriff’s volunteers?”
Hoyt: “Yes, we do. We’re the only ones up here. We don’t have a sergeant or a regular deputy assigned up here in the office itself. They’re short staffed and we only have four of our volunteers that actually come in and spend time here. We did have five, but I’m not sure if the other one is up to it at the present time, and most of them only spend three or four hours a day. When we first started we had ten people, each of them spent four hours a day. I’m the only one that comes in on Friday, and I’m here from roughly ten o’clock to five o’clock.”
Hiway17: “Is there a volunteer here every day?”
Hoyt: “No. It would be nice if we could. We answer the phone and help people as much as possible. I’ve had people call and they want to report something stolen, back in Chicago or somewhere else, we can’t help them there. It has to be our area. The fact is, we’re in Santa Cruz County. I’ve had people calling from Santa Clara County, they need to call the Santa Clara County office to make their reports.”
Hiway17: “Do the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s meet here with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s?”
Hoyt: “That desk you’re sitting at is actually theirs, but I don’t know if they come up here or not. The deputies could come up here at night because they have access and work on reports. They also have an office in Redwood Estates. Santa Cruz County has one here at the Summit, they’ve got one in Watsonville, one is in Aptos, one down in Live Oak, there’s one in Felton, and they actually have volunteers at the Sheriff’s office itself at the courthouse in Santa Cruz.”
According to Mr. Hoyt, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s volunteers contribute over 1000 hours of work per year.
