NCJ Number
222980
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 56 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 87-90
Date Published
April 2008
Length
4 pages
Annotation
After discussing the benefits of a well-trained and equipped auxiliary police force, this article offers suggestions for starting a reserve officer force.
Abstract
Auxiliary officers become additional uniformed personnel in times of need, such as for riots; natural disasters; and major exhibitions, fairs, or festivals. Other duties performed by auxiliary officers include prisoner transport, hospital guard details for suspects in custody or crime victims/witnesses under threat, and various other tasks that free patrol units to handle calls for service. A number of challenges must be addressed before a reserve officer force can be created. Collective bargaining agreements with police unions can sometimes exclude the creation of auxiliary units. Full-time officers may fear losing overtime opportunities they depend on to increase their income from base salary. Police administrators may also resist the creation of an auxiliary force, because they perceive this reduces the chance of budgeting for additional full-time officers to address core demands on the department. Full-time, sworn officers must be persuaded that a young, inexperienced auxiliary officer is not a replacement who will significantly reduce the overtime that results from increased demand for the fully trained, experienced police officer. The need for a reserve auxiliary force must be sold on the basis of its being a supplementary, part-time force that supplements the work of full-time officers and frees them to perform the highly skilled work for which they have been trained. This article also discusses issues of employment contracts with auxiliary officers, the training needed, liability that may be associated with their engaging in tasks they were not fully trained to perform, and parameters for limiting the autonomy of auxiliary officers.