The mission of Citizen Corps is to harness the power of every
individual through education, training, and
volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and
better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime,
public health issues, and disasters of all kinds.

The Citizen Corps mission will be accomplished through a national network of state, local, and tribal Citizen Corps Councils, which bring together leaders from law enforcement, fire, emergency medical and other emergency management, volunteer organizations, local elected officials, the private sector, and other community stakeholders. These Councils will tailor activities to the community and build on community strengths to develop and implement a local strategy to have every American participate through:

Local Citizen Corps Councils will also promote and strengthen the Citizen corps programs at the community level, such as Volunteers in Police Service programs, CERT teams, medical Reserve Corps units, and Neighborhood Watch groups; provide opportunities for special skills and interests; develop targeted outreach for special needs groups; organize special skills and interests; develop targeted outreach for special needs groups; organize special projects and community events; encourage cooperation and collaboration among community leaders; and capture smart practices and report accomplishments.