Volunteer with Largo police has been protecting his community for two decades

Volunteer has been giving back to community for 20 years

Bob Larche says he feels like he has done a good day's work as a volunteer with the Largo Police Department. He loves his city and is grateful to have a hand in protecting it -- for 20 years.

LARGO, Fla. - Robert Larche moved to Largo around 20 years ago from Canada -- and wanted to give back to the community somehow.

A friend convinced him to go through the training and become a "V-I-P," Volunteer in Policing with the city police department.

"I'm a V-I-P…not a very important person. I don't feel like a very important person. I like what I’m doing. It's my passion," Larche told FOX 13.

The folks at Largo police will disagree -- to a point. They believe he truly is a "very important person" because in 19 years, he's worked more than 20,000 hours saving the city $500,000.

"I don't do it for the hours. I do it for the enjoyment of volunteering,” Larche said. “Sometimes, I work six days a week, but not Sundays. That’s reserved for my wife.”

Larche says he volunteers because he enjoys it. He assists in traffic crashes, vacation home checks, and if he sees a bicyclist without bicycle lights -- he will give them lights. (FOX 13 News)

Larche’s passion is certainly pleasing to the department, which means the only way he'll stop, he said, is if the doctor tells him to.

"Every officer I see and every person I see in the police department thank me for what I’m doing. ‘Thank you for doing this and thank you for doing that and for doing it for so long,’” Larche said. “They just appreciate it and I just feel proud to be a part of the Largo Police Department."

Through Largo Police Department’s ‘Volunteer in Policing Training Academy,’ it requires participants to commit between 80 to 90 hours of training before being able to work as a volunteer officer. Training lasts between 4 to 6 weeks.

LINK: For more information on the academy, head over to the City of Largo’s website.

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