Grand Junction Police Recruits Volunteers for Victim Services Unit

Grand Junction Police Department is looking for you to sit in the trenches with people who’ve just had their lives upended. Not for the faint of heart. Not for the people who need a five-minute orientation before they can function.

The GJPD Victim Services unit is accepting applications for volunteers, and the job description is deceptively simple: help people navigate the worst days of their lives. But let’s look at what that actually entails. You aren’t just handing out brochures. You’re finding shelter. You’re figuring out why a victim hasn’t eaten in twelve hours. You’re bridging the gap between the chaos of a crime scene and the mundane reality of needing a safe place to sleep.

Megan Weaver, the victim services coordinator, puts it plainly. “Our whole goal is to make sure you understand what is needed from now til tomorrow,” she said.

That’s the hook. The department needs 21-year-olds with a background check and a heart of compassion. Bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged, which makes sense for a city where Spanish is spoken in a significant portion of households, though the sources don’t break down the specific language needs beyond that encouragement. The unit operates 24/7/365. That means you’re on call for domestic violence calls, sexual assaults, unattended deaths, and other traumatic incidents.

On paper, this is a low-cost solution for a high-stress problem. The GJPD provides comprehensive training. You don’t need a law degree. You don’t need prior police experience. You just need to be able to help someone think when they can’t. Weaver notes that when you’re the victim of a crime, “you don’t know how to think about the way that that is affecting you.” The volunteers step in to help with the things you’re not prepared to handle yourself.

It’s a critical support layer. Officers handle the investigation; these volunteers handle the human element. They’re the ones ensuring you have food, a place to stay, and someone to talk to while the bureaucracy of justice kicks into gear.

The application is available on the GJPD Victim Services website. It closes July 5 at 11:55 p.m.

Here’s the practical takeaway for locals. This isn’t a revenue generator. It’s not a new tax levy. It’s a resource allocation of time and training. For the community, it means that when a domestic disturbance turns serious or a death goes unattended, there’s a dedicated team ready to assist with immediate, tangible needs rather than just processing paperwork. It costs the taxpayers nothing extra in new funding, but it demands a significant commitment of personal time from volunteers who are willing to be the first point of contact for trauma.

If you’re in Grand Junction and you have the time, this is a direct line to making the city’s emergency response more human. The department is asking for compassion. The community needs the support. The clock is ticking until July 5.