QUINCY — Quincy residents decided to do something about high crime rates in their town.

High crime rates, gang activity and vandalism are big concerns for citizen Sonia Padrone.

"I'm hoping this committee will be able to patrol the streets," she said.

Padrone and fellow citizen Tod Heikes plan to lead a committee of volunteers to assist the understaffed Quincy Police Department.

"We're looking for 20 people to patrol and be a second set of eyes for the police," Police Chief William Gonzales said. "Sometimes that's all it takes. Another set of eyes."

The department is asking their citizens to patrol the city and report suspicious activity while the department searches to fill vacant officer positions, he said.

Dora Trevino works with a similar program in Wenatchee.

The program is successful, she said. Some of her duties include cleaning graffiti, writing parking tickets, crowd control, reporting possible impaired drivers, patrolling certain areas and reporting suspicious activity before an incident might occur.

"If we saw something, we had the opportunity to call it in right away," Trevino said. "You'd be surprised at the success we could have."

She calls for additional help to the department.

"When you have 10 officers, how can you take care of 5,000 people?" she asked. "They need us, we're there. I know it works because I do it."

To get involved in the volunteer program, Quincy residents are asked to contact Gonzales at 509-787-4718.