The Lee County Sheriff's Office Volunteer Observers Impacting Community Effort program presented Sheriff Mike Scott with a "check" for nearly $1.2 million, which signifies the amount of money the program saved taxpayers by using volunteers instead of paid personnel.
"These are special people with an admirable work ethic," said Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott. "They offer a diverse array of life experiences and an unselfish commitment to their community."
Tasks included traffic control, business and neighborhood patrols, neighborhood canvassing, picking up found property, tagging abandoned vehicles as well as clerical and operational support duties.
Volunteers gave more than 54,000 hours of time last year.
Ed Shumate and Dominic Pittro were named Volunteers of the Year and Dennis Hanny was recognized as the new record holder in number of hours volunteered with more than 3,100 in 2011.
