Photo by Travis Pratt Al Lindgren is a Community Assistance Patrol volunteer.

Since he has retired, he has had the chance to wear a uniform himself and play a role in law enforcement.

Lindgren spent most of his career working with nuclear power, training plant operators.

After he retired in 2002, the Frederick resident got involved with Volunteer Frederick, a community service organization, where he heard about the Community Assistance Patrol unit of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.

CAP volunteers are community-minded, Lindgren said, and he takes pride in working with them. They help deputies concentrate on their paid duties while making the community a safer place.

Altogether, CAP volunteers have logged about 42,000 hours over the last 10 years. Dressed in brown uniforms, they patrol events, control traffic at crash scenes and take fingerprints at the Law Enforcement Center once a week.

Lindgren is also trained to use a device that tracks missing autistic children for the Project Lifesaver program.

Last year, he volunteered more than 800 hours.

Lindgren, a CAP sergeant, recently helped direct traffic in Brunswick after a powerful storm struck down several trees and power lines.

He also helped control traffic last week when three buildings burned on South Main Street in Mount Airy.

"It keeps me really active," he said. "Plus, I get the sense of giving back and helping out. I like to get involved when people really need help."