Left to right: Thomas Bauder, Craig Lloyd, Ken Hinatsu, and Ramon Rubio
Please join the Sun Lakes Posse, along with the clubs and organizations of Sun Lakes, on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, for a Community Open House at the Posse facility and adjacent Baptist Church parking lot, located at 9531 E. Riggs Road (corner of Dobson and Riggs).
The Sun Lakes Posse is a 501(c)(3) organization that has been serving the Sun Lakes community since 1986 and formally incorporated on Jan. 19, 1987. All donations to this non-profit organization stay in our Sun Lakes community and are used for the benefit of all our residents.
This organization, currently comprised of over 30 dedicated volunteers, is funded solely by the donations of our community. The Posse owns and maintains our local facility that houses the operations of the Posse and provides our local law enforcement organization, The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), with a substation in our community. Our primary mission of giving back to the community on a daily basis in many ways is accomplished through our following operating entities:
The Sun Lakes Posse 501(c)(3) and Its Governing Board
This group is responsible for overseeing all operations of the programs, the facilities and equipment, financials of the organization, and is the parent organization with the governing board of directors.
The Sun Lakes Sheriff’s Posse
The Sheriff’s Posse members are the only fully-vetted, trained, and endorsed volunteer law enforcement personal authorized by MCSO to operate in the Sun Lakes community. All members have gone through the same vetting process as law enforcement officers, including background check and oral interview, polygraph, and for the Qualified Armed Posse (QAP), members complete drug screening and psychological testing with oral interview, all prior to being cleared to work under the umbrella of and wear the law enforcement patch of MCSO. Members undergo constant training throughout the year to maintain their status, and the QAP members requalify every year with their firearms at the Sheriff’s Department range to AZ POST standards. This is the same standard as all law enforcement officers in Arizona. These members patrol in our community under the supervision of and authority of MCSO and are in constant contact with MCSO on department-issued law enforcement radios. These members actively assist deputies with calls for service, traffic accidents, welfare checks, and are among some of the first to be called in search and rescue missions involving missing members of our community. While the Sheriff’s Posse members are on patrol and volunteering in our community, they are backed by and covered under the liability umbrella of The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sun Lakes Posse Medical Equipment Program
Since 1995, this amazing group of volunteers has provided thousands of medical equipment items to the residents of Sun Lakes on loan, free of charge. This program currently has over 300 items valued at over $100,000 that are inventoried, maintained, and cleaned by our volunteers. The office is staffed Monday through Friday with volunteers ready to assist our residents with free-of-charge use of the medical equipment. All equipment was either donated by Sun Lakes organizations or purchased by the Posse.
Examples of equipment: wheel chairs, two- and four-wheel walkers, shower benches, transfer seats, toilet safety frames, crutches, and canes.
The Sun Lakes Posse Fundraising Program
This vital group of volunteers provides a key role in the financial existence of this 100%-volunteer organization. The Posse receives no funding from federal, state, or local agencies and relies completely on our community for support to maintain our facilities and equipment in our ongoing efforts to protect and to serve the Sun Lakes community.
Your donations can be mailed or taken to Sun Lakes Posse, 9531 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248. All donations are tax-deductible.
For more information on the Posse, visit our website at www.sunlakesposse.org. @