SOAP LAKE - The Soap Lake City Council approved a new neighborhood watch program, although one council member raised concerns.

Citizens on Patrol (COP) was first proposed in February by Soap Lake reserve police officer Rowdy Yates, who said the move could help the understaffed department with extra eyes and ears.

Yates recently joined Soap Lake Police Chief Jim Dorris to explain how volunteers will be trained in areas of safety, patrol procedures, communications and basic law before using their own vehicles to patrol city neighborhoods.

Volunteers will be instructed to immediately call police if they see suspicious activity and to never to get out of their vehicles, which will display magnetic signs identifying them as COP patrols, Yates said. Volunteers will make no arrests and carry no weapons.

COP participants will be required to sign a waiver and follow the guidelines of a volunteer training manual presented to council earlier this month prior to their 6-1 vote to move forward with the program.

Mayor Raymond Gravelle asked Councilman John Hillman why he was opposed, saying he was "curious to flush out any concerns about this program."

Hillman cited the much publicized shooting of Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch coordinator George Zimmerman in Florida two months ago. Zimmerman claimed he shot the youth in self-defense and was not charged, leading to a public outcry including allegations of racism and police misconduct, as well as questions concerning neighborhood watch programs in general.

"(Zimmerman) did not follow instructions given to him by a 9-1-1 operator and we have a huge controversy," Hillman said. "I just don't think that we need to bring that kind of thing to Soap Lake, it's not necessary. Why can't we just watch out for each other?"