Another Reserve Question

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Posted: 7/19/2010 9:31:07 AM EDT

Over the weekend, I had an officer from a small town close to me tell me that POST requires you to be fully certified as an officer now to be a reservist.

Has anyone else heard this? Seemed slightly odd to me that someone would be expected to take a few months off of work to go to a school
on their own dime, just to volunteer.

I do understand the logic behind wanting certified officers because of liability, but here in TN there aren't any part-time academies like in other states.
It would be next to impossible for someone to do this. If for no other reason than if you don't have the money, you can't pay the fees, and if you do have it,
you either have a job you can't leave, or you have so much money you're not going to want to risk your life for the heck of it.

Posted: 7/19/2010 11:52:54 AM EDT

[#1]

Here in Texas, reserves have to be fully certified peace officers. It's been that way for a while now. I do not know about TN.

16 years ago when I started, the training was split into 3 sections so that you could take it over a 4 year period if you wanted to. That no longer applies and everyone has to go thorough the same academy, full time or reserve.

Posted: 7/19/2010 12:56:44 PM EDT

[#2]

That is correct in many if not all states. Probably another reason that we have trouble finding reserve officers.

Posted: 7/19/2010 1:04:59 PM EDT

[#3]

In MI, there's a separate academy for Reserves. Shorter than the regular one (16 weeks, 2 nights/week).

Still have to pass the state's medical and psych evaluations, and qualify on the range every 6 months.

Posted: 7/19/2010 3:54:38 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
In MI, there's a separate academy for Reserves. Shorter than the regular one (16 weeks, 2 nights/week).
Still have to pass the state's medical and psych evaluations, and qualify on the range every 6 months.

See, that would make sense. You could pull that off and not completely mess up your life. Like I said, I understand
why they want certified officers, but who is going to invest all of that time and money to get certified, and then not
want a paycheck?

Why not try for a part time position and get paid a very little? At least that way you'd break even.

Thanks for the replies guys. I don't have a dog in this race, just found it absurd.

Posted: 7/20/2010 2:00:55 AM EDT

[#5]

No license required in MN. Some departments require reserves to be POST certified. I was not post certified when I joined.

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Posted: 7/20/2010 2:10:28 AM EDT

[#6]

No requirements like that in Kansas. Don't even have to qualify with my weapon per the state, though the agency requires it.

You are right, it does seem kind of absurd to have that requirement. Perhaps they want people who have moved on to more lucrative civilian carriers to be able to help out.

There is the possibility that some agencies were taking advantage of relaxed standards, hiring only 1 or 2 officers and using reserves and part-timers beyond what might be considered reasonable.

Posted: 7/20/2010 2:16:54 AM EDT

[#7]

If TN is anything like Colorado it changes. Lots of unemployed cops= higher standards. Cops getting scarce lower the reserve standards. IT has changed several times since I started in 89.

Posted: 7/20/2010 7:22:50 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
In MI, WA there's a separate academy for Reserves. Shorter than the regular one (16 weeks, 2 nights/week).
Still have to pass the state's medical and psych evaluations, and qualify on the range every 6 months.

Quicker than typing it again

Posted: 7/20/2010 9:49:50 AM EDT

[#9]

Check with POST to find out the real scoop.

Posted: 7/20/2010 11:27:16 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Here in Texas, reserves have to be fully certified peace officers. It's been that way for a while now. I do not know about TN.

16 years ago when I started, the training was split into 3 sections so that you could take it over a 4 year period if you wanted to. That no longer applies and everyone has to go thorough the same academy, full time or reserve.

Exactly correct. I believe the "Reserve Officer" academy program ended in 2000. I actually went that route myself several years before. All of our Reserves are fully commissioned, trained, and sworn Peace Officers. And yes, there are people who will do it just to volunteer. We have everything from a loss prevention retail guy to an oil/gas guy, to a doctor with two practices.

Posted: 7/20/2010 7:25:09 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Here in Texas, reserves have to be fully certified peace officers. It's been that way for a while now. I do not know about TN.

16 years ago when I started, the training was split into 3 sections so that you could take it over a 4 year period if you wanted to. That no longer applies and everyone has to go thorough the same academy, full time or reserve.

Exactly correct. I believe the "Reserve Officer" academy program ended in 2000. I actually went that route myself several years before. All of our Reserves are fully commissioned, trained, and sworn Peace Officers. And yes, there are people who will do it just to volunteer. We have everything from a loss prevention retail guy to an oil/gas guy, to a doctor with two practices.

I'm one of them. IMO, it is a good thing that the "reserves" have to go through the same training and licensing for a couple of reasons:

1) what is the difference between a full time and a reserve officer on the street? Answer: Nothing
2) Having a distinction with regard to policing (pay, benefits, etc. is a different discussion) breeds the "second class citizen" mentality and is bad juju.

Frankly I've known plenty of reserve officers that were flat out better at being a police officer than some of their full time counterparts.

Posted: 7/21/2010 5:26:41 AM EDT

[#12]

I am a reserve deputy and fully sworn in rural SW Virginia. I have never been to the academy. However I never ride alone, I am always with a full time deputy unless we are doing traffic control at an event or something similar.

Posted: 7/21/2010 6:22:50 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
And yes, there are people who will do it just to volunteer.

That's me. Spent too many years in college to give up the day job but I enjoy the heck out of patrolling on the weekends.

IMHO, all reserves should be certified the same as full timers. I know that's a burden for some but I think it weeds out the ones that are just out for a badge and a gun. Also I think it would alleviate some liability issues if the SHTF with a reserve involved. Been there, done that.

Posted: 7/21/2010 6:59:06 AM EDT

[#14]

Not sure about the SD's, but they eliminated "reserve" officers in IL back around '96, purportedly due to tin stars and "special deputy/reserve" status - and the resulting LE CCW - being given to political donors without any training - or more importantly background checks - being performed. We still have "auxiliary officers" but in order for them to carry they have to be listed by ordinance as "Conservators of the Peace" and go through one of the certified academies. Our statutes allow for part-timers who have to be trained to a comparable level.

There are mutiple methods to achieve that. Number one is one of the full-time academies (Min 400 hours over 11-12 weeks); for part timers you have the option of either PEP, a 6-month program consisting of 16 hours every weekend and online training, or STTAR, a 9-month program with classroom once every 3 weeks and the balance online.

In IL however you cannot "self sponsor" - you MUST be employed by a LEA before admission, you MUST begin your tarinng within 6 months of date of hire, and you MUST complete the POWER test (physical fitness).

Auxiliaries are not eligible for academy tuition reimbursement, and if they are not CoP's their powers are very limited, and confined within the AHJ.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Another Reserve Question

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