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DeRidder Reserve
Police
Louisiana
Answering the
"Hue and
Cry"
An Examination of the
2002 Reserve Police
Program
of DeRidder, Louisiana
Written by Michael J. Kane, Ph.D.
Mountain State University
Director of Justice
Studies
Beckley, WV
Note from Dr.
Kane: Police Administrators
wishing to start a Reserve program, or enhance an existing one, may
contact the author for consultation at the following contact
addresses:
Michael
J. Kane, Ph.D.
Moutain State University
Director of Justice
Studies
P.O. Box 9003
Beckley, WV 25802
(304)
929-1308 mkane@mountainstate.edu
..."Although I focused specifically on the Reserve
Police Program in DeRidder, Louisiana, Police Departments
nationwide who are considering starting a Reserve Officer Program,
or who wish to re-evaluate an existing one, may share common
concerns. For either designing or re-evaluating Reserve
Police Officer Programs, it is fundamentally important to have
very clear and useful Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) or some
form of written policies....."
"Police Departments should design clear mission goals
of their Reserve Police Programs. The goals of the programs
should not be designed to replace shortages in a Police Department,
but the Reserve Officers should be in place to assist full-time
Officers in performance of their duties. Additionally, the
Reserve Programs should formally place controls and limitations on
their Reserve Officers while allowing room for professional
growth. Finally, Departments should be very selective in their
hiring criteria, and effectively train, evaluate, and encourage
their Reserve Officers. In these ways, a strong Reserve
component of any Police Department is mutually beneficial to both
the Police and the community."
INDEX:
ABOUT DR. KANE
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION RESERVE
PROGRAM
PURPOSE AND
OBJECTIVES
(1) "to allow citizens to participate in Law Enforcement
functions on a voluntary basis; (2) to promote a spirit of good citizenship and foster
good Police-community relations; (3) to provide assistance to the DeRidder Police
Department in the enforcement of law and maintenance of
peace; (4) to provide an emergency response [sic] team of trained
Officers when called upon by DeRidder Municipal
Authorities;
and (5) to provide a trained pool of citizens from which
regular Officers may be
hired."
CONCLUSIONS
(including aspects of required training giving an example training schedule plus OJT - on-the-job
training)
NOTES
_______________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT
This paper
examines the practice of commissioning members of the community as
Police Officers giving them full status of Peace Officers, but with
the expectation of part-time service without monetary
compensation. This is a common practice in Louisiana, whereas
Police agencies with a small number of Officers are supplemented
with Community Volunteers. This appears to be an evolution of
old English common law where existed a practice of raising a
"hue and cry," a phrase signifying the process of pursuing
criminals with chase and voice. It was the duty of any person
aggrieved, or discovering a felony, to raise the "hue and cry," and
his neighbors were bound to run out with him and assist in the
discovery of the offender. The practice also exhibits
contemporary "community policing" strategies of involving
communities directly in Police services and in promoting the
spirit of good citizenship. In particular, the Reserve Police
Program in DeRidder, Louisiana, is examined along this conceptual
foundation.
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INTRODUCTION
The phrase
"hue and cry" has come to be known as a proclamation for
the capture of an offender or for the finding of stolen goods.
It has also been effectively employed to mean an official
proclamation, issued for the information of the authorities
interested, in which particulars are given of offenders
"wanted" and of offenses "committed." (Note
#1)
This phrase has
English origins. In Halsbury's Law of England, one of
the earliest written collections of English Law, it is written that
the Sheriff was "a conservator of the King's peace.
It was the ...duty of the sheriff to... defend his county
against the invasions by the King's enemies." A permanent
police force did not exist in England until the 19th century;
therefore, the majority of Law Enforcement functions were the
general responsibility of the sheriff. (Note
#2) This sheriff had the power
to "suppress unlawful assemblies and riots, to apprehend offenders,
and ...to pursue and arrest felons; and for that purpose to raise
the hue and cry." (Note #3).
In order to maintain a peaceful society, it was
understood every person in the shire (county) was legally bound to
be "ready at the command of the sheriff and at the cry of the county
to arrest a felon." (Note #4) The practice came to be known as raising the "hue
and cry." As with many foundations in the
United States, our criminal justice system is strongly grounded in
our European traditions. The practice of raising the hue
and cry and community members pursuing suspected criminals was
common in early Colonial America. A past-medieval counterpart
of this was the celebrated posse during the American
westward expansion.
I utilize this phrase
to make a contemporary comparision with the practicing of training
citizens in local Louisiana communities to serve as Police
Officers. Although holding full arrest powers and peacekeeping
responsibilities, the Reserve Police act in an assisting capacity
and perform basic security functions at public events such as
parades and local fairs. In keeping in the spirit of
community involvement, the Reserves are drawn from the local
community and receive no compensation for their service. In
essence, they have answered a formalized and contemporary "hue
and cry."
The city of DeRidder, Louisiana, was established
in 1913, and was named in honor of Ella DeRidder who was the
sister-in-law of railroad investor Jan DeGoeijen. The town
supports a reported population of 9,808 residents, with a
slight majority (60%) Caucasian and a large number of
African-American residents (34%). (Note #5) The city is the Parish Seat in Beauregard
Parish, and is in southwestern Louisiana. The town supports a
local Police Department, the DeRidder Police Department, which
consists of a Chief of Police and 26 full-time Police
Officers. The city is structured along a mayor-city council
design where the Police Chief answers to the
Mayor.
There are positions for 13 Reserve
Police Officers (as of this writing, only 11 are filled).
Beauregard Parish (population 32,986) experiences few major or
serious crimes, with only one murder and four rapes reported in
2002. (Note #6)
The DeRidder Police
Department is subdivided into four Patrol shifts headed by
a Lieutenant, a Juvenile Officer, two Detectives, two Narcotics
Officers, and several employees serving in positions of clerical
duties, Dispatch, and similar responsibilities. The upper
hierarchy consists of the Chief of Police and one Assistant
Chief. The Reserve Officers are primarily expected to perform
Patrol duties and are under the supervision of the Patrol Shift
Lieutenant.
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Reserve
Program
The DeRidder
Reserve Officer Program was formally established in 1994.
According to the DeRidder Police Department's Police
[sic] Reserve Unit's Standing Operating Procedures, the program
is formally entitled "The DeRidder Police Reserve." (Note #7)
In the stipulations of this
section, it is clearly designated that "membership shall be
drawn from community volunteers under the direct supervision of the
Chief of Police or of his designated representative" and that
the "DeRidder Police Reserve shall not be used to replace
personnel shortages, but to supplement existing Police
resources." Clearly, these mandates are the foundations
of the program stipulating that community members serve in a
volunteer status, and not as replacements for the civil service
positions held by full-time members of the department. The
Reserve Officer was apparently formed to functionally assist the
full-time Officers in Patrol duties, not to replace them in any
respect. The policy designers'
use of the word "supplement" in the section was more than a
semantic choice; it is a functional one. Section 8 of the
Standing Operating Procedures reaffirms this ideology. It
reads, "The primary duty of the Reserve Officer is to assist
regular Officers in the performance of their duties."
An interesting point is found
in the same section where it is mandated when reporting for duty,
"The Reserve Officer must obtain an assignment from the shift
supervisior or senior shift Officer;" and the assignment
"must be within the Reserve Officer's area of
competence." This stipulation is both restrictive and
flexible. By placing the Reserve Officer under shift
supervisors, whose primary duties are supervising the Patrol
responsibilities, there appears to be a restriction of only
utilizing Reserve Officers in Patrol duties. However, the
Standard Operating Policy allows shift supervisors the flexibility
to assign Reserve Officers to more specialized duties such as
surveillance, drug enforcement, and investigations.
Although Reserve Officers
are drawn from the community, these volunteers may be former
Police Officers or have specialized training or talents which can be
used effectively in areas outside of the Patrol arena. This
type of phrase should become a part of any Police organization's
Reserve program because although most of the civiian volunteers will
have very little or no Police training and experience, there may be
volunteers who are uniquely qualified to perform more sophisticated
Police duties. It is only prudent to require inexperienced
Police Officers to be closely supervised under Patrol duties, but to
appreciate those Officers who can bring experience and talent to the
more specific duties of the Department. In the history of the
Reserve Program, it was not uncommon to have volunteers from other
Departments who had retired or had made mid-level civilian
career changes and wished to remain active in Law Enforcement.
Allowing the flexibility of discretion in assignments is a valuable
aspect of this particular program.
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Purpose and Objectives
There are
five areas of purpose and objectives for the DeRidder Police
Reserve. These areas are:
-
"to allow citizens to participate in Law
Enforcement functions on a voluntary
basis;
-
to
promote a spirit of good citizenship and foster good
Police-community relations;
-
to
provide assistance to the DeRidder Police Department in the
enforcement of law and maintenance of
peace;
-
to
provide an emergency response [sic] team of trained Officers when
called upon by DeRidder Municipal
Authorities;
-
and to provide a trained pool of citizens from
which regular Officers may be hired." (Note #8)
The first purpose and
objective ("to
allow citizens to participate in Law Enforcement functions on a
voluntary basis") serves as the gateway to
the program where it again affirms the concept of community members
taking an active role in Law Enforcement in their community.
However, the concept is more formalized compared with its "hue
and cry" and "posse" forerunners. In a "hue
and cry" situation, citizens were expected to sound the alarm,
take up arms, and assist in the resistance of an unfolding criminal
act or to apprehend a discovered fugitive. In a
"posse," similar circumstances were required, where often
hostile and angry groups of citizens enthusiastically pursued,
captured, and often disseminated frontier justice. Although
the concept of community involvement is embraced, the
differentiating factor between these situations and the Reserve
Program appears to be one of reaction versus response. In both
the "hue and cry" and "posse" situations, citizens
were asked to react to an unfolding and current event; whereas the
Police Reserve Program seems to favor a response of supplementing
Law Enforcement practices.
In order to avoid the
overzealous citizens from reacting to crime, the Reserve Police
Program should impose limitations on Reserve Police Officers.
In the DeRidder Police Reserve program, there are formalized
mechanisms in place that effectively address this potential
problem. First and foremost is the formal mechanism for
selecting qualified members of the community. The Police
Reserve Program has no open door policy, whereas only predetermined
and selected citizens of the community may act in Law Enforcement
capacities. Generally, "qualifications for membership
shall be the same as required for regular Officers." (Note
#9)
In order to become a member of
the Police Reserve Program, citizens must meet the same criteria as
if they were applying for full-time Officer positions. This
includes a minimum age requirement of 21 years; good physical
health; good moral character; and, in the DeRidder Police
Department, the applicant must pass a physical fitness test.
The application procedure consists of a written application, a
background check where past criminal records are grounds for
disqualification, a drug screening test and medical physical, and an
oral interview by a reviewing board. The reviewing board
consists of ranking members of the Police Department, and each
candidate's application receives a final review by the Chief of
Police. Any falsification or deliberate omission on the
application can result in immediate dismissal. This phase is
known as the Selection Phase. (Note #10)
Once qualifed applicants have
successfully satisfied these requirements, they are placed in a
Cadet Status; and they must successfully complete the Recruit
Training Course taught by Officers of the DeRidder Police Department
and other qualified personnel. Cadets must also
pass a final, written examination. Upon graduation from this
course, recruits or Cadets are assigned to Field Training Officers
for on-the-job training. Cadets have six months to complete
this segment. After this period, they are allowed to work
independently under the supervision of the duty shift
supervisor. However, while on this probation, more or specific
remedial training may be required; and any infraction of the rules
and regulations while on probation may result in dismissal without
recourse. (Note #11).
The evolution
from applicant to probationary Officer is both a growth experience
for the new Officer as well as a screening device for the
organization. Before allowing the citizens to engage in
peacekeeping and enforcement duties, undesirable applicants can be
identified at several junctures in the process. Overzealous or
ineffective potential Officers can be retrained, phased out, or at
least identified.
There are other restrictive
mechanisms imposed upon Reserve Police Officers, and those are
clearly established in the Regulations of the DeRidder Police
Reserve. For example, in order for a Reserve Officer to be
considered on duty, they must physically appear at the Police
station and sign in the "Reserve Sign-in Log." According to
regulation, "Without doing so they do not have Police
powers." (Note #12) Reserve Officers are restricted from using their
personal vehicles in an official capacity, (Note #13)
from working details in civilian clothes without authorization,
(Note #14) and from wearing any part of their uniform (including
firearms) while not on duty. (Note #15) The restriction on the carrying of firearms when off
duty is not only a functional restriction of the Department, but
also a state regulated requirement. In Louisiana, full-time
Commissioned Peace Officers are permitted by law to carry concealed
weapons, whereas a Reserve or part-time Peace Officer may only do so
in the actual discharge of official duties or if the Reserve Officer
has legally obtained a concealed handgun permit. (Note
#16)
Through both a
formalized application process and with restrictive procedures and
laws, Police Chiefs and Sheriffs are allowed the opportunity to
restrict the Reserve Officers from overzealous practices and to
ensure that qualified members of the community are accepted and
retained. Although keeping the spirit of the community's
"hue and cry" and posse situations, certain citizens may be
restricted from undertaking Law Enforcement and peacekeeping
vocations in this case. This was historically and informally
accomplished by the discretion of the Sheriff or agency
leader. Therefore, the ability to screen applicants and to
restrict their off-duty actions is a foundation of a
contemporary Reserve Program, and these formal mechanisms should be
grounded in these programs.
The second and third purposes and
objectives are to
promote a spirit of good
citizenship and to foster good Police-community
relations. Although I take the
liberty to discuss these two objectives as one, there are important
differentiations. The word citizenship is defined as
"The character of an individual viewed as a member of
society; behavior in terms of the duties, obligations, and
functions of a citizen."
(Note #17) The key emphasis of this definition is in the words
duties and obligations of a citizen. I am
not suggesting that in order to become or act as a "good" citizen,
one must join a Police agency and take an active role in
peacekeeping, but good citizens should take an active interest in
society and community as a whole. I believe the spirit of the
objectives allows an avenue for certain citizens to become active in
their community's health and well-being.
However, this is
only one avenue a conscientious citizen may take. Deviating
from a generic definition, the phrase "Police-Community relations"
requires a more specific explanation, one that is grounded in a
criminal justice milieu. Contemporary scholars of criminal
justice debate the actual meaning of this term.
One commonly accepted definition of this phrase is
"complicated and constantly changing interactions between
representatives of the Police organization and an assortment of
governmental agencies, public groups, and private individuals
representing a wide range of competing and often conflicting
interests." (Note
#18)
One reason for
the debate is the abstract or general presentation of this
concept. Simply implied, the concept relates to the
relationship between the Police agency with all other aspects,
persons, and agencies in the community. Apparently, the
purpose of this objective is to provide a better relationship
between the Police and the community, although this concept lends
itself to vagueness. I combine these two objectives because I
believe effectively, better Police-Community relationships, or
interactions, are best achieved when there is little separation
between the two. These objectives allow citizens an active
role in taking up responsibilities of the community and becoming
valuable members of the Police Department. Therefore, the gap
between citizen and Police Officer is greatly
narrowed.
To demonstrate this idea, I
specifically analyzed the DeRidder Police Reserve Class of
2002. This Department began the application process in the
Spring of 2002, resulting in the acceptance of eleven members of the
community. The training program began in August of 2002, and a
formal graduation was held on October 10, 2002. The graduating
class consisted of eight Caucasian males, two African-American
males, and one Caucasian female. Their ages ranged from 25 to
47 years old. Examples of their full-time occupations were
electrician, truck driver, medic, assistant manager of a large
department store, factory safety coordinator, professional soldier,
and university professor. (Note #19) Out of the eleven, five of these Officers agreed to
answer specific questions regarding their background and to share
their experiences of becoming Reserve Police
Officers.
When these Reserve Officers
were asked why they volunteered to become Reserve Police Officers,
some common answers were: "I would enjoy enforcing the law and
making the city a better place;" "[I had] a long-time desire
to help local citizens;" "[Iwill gain] self-fulfillment
helping people;" and "I wanted to give [something back] to the
community when I retire." (Note #20) It is important to recognize that these responses all
suggested close ties or bonds with the community. One may
question the sincerity of these responses and could speculate these
answers were simply generated so they may be accepted as candidates,
or they were simply reciting phrases they felt that a selection
committee would want to hear. In rebuttal, it should be noted
that these responses were given after the Officers had graduated and
were engaged in field training. Therefore, I
consider greater sincerity because they all had successfully
completed training and had taken oaths as Police Officers. At
this point, their actions are scrutinized more than their
descriptive words.
When these
Officers were asked to tell what effect [if any] they felt the
Police Reserve Program has in promoting a spirit of good
citizenship and fostering good Police-community relations, again
some common themes emerge. One Officer stated, "People see
me as a Police Officer, [and] this states that I care."
In more detail, two other Officers stated: "It takes a special
person to take time out of busy lives and dedicate it to someone
else for free;" and "Anytime you have volunteers that are
willing to help, it shows a strong commitment to the
community." (Note
#21) Again, I do not doubt to a
large degree the sincerity of the Officers' dedication to good
citizenship; and this appears to be a common
theme.
What my study did
not fully address were underlying desires that may or may not be
apparent. for example, to what degree do these Reserve
Officers wish to experience adventure and danger, have a degree of
power and authority, or even to make their applications stronger for
this or other Departments. I do not imply these reasons are
detrimental for entering Police work. Earlier studies have
shown applicants apply for full-time Law Enforcement positions
primarily for job security, but other common reasons reported
were fighting crime, job excitement, and even prestige. (Note
#22) In fact, a more recent
study examined the intellectual capacity of Reserve Police
applicants by using the Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory (MMPI). The researchers
concluded in part that their group had a similar profile consistent
with the "Police personality," or those personality traits commonly
associated with full-time Police Officers. (Note
#23) However, other research
has shown when examining motivations of volunteer Officers versus
regular Officers, volunteer Officers "are propelled more by
self-interest than by altruistic motivations, tend to hold a
romanticized view of Policing, and derive a great deal of
satisfaction from their involvement in the Police world." (Note
#24)
Fourth purpose and
objective: Expanding on one delineated purpose
to have a Reserve Police Unit is clearly shown in the fourth purpose
and objective: to provide assistance
to the DeRidder Police Department in the enforcement of
law and maintenance of peace.
Reserve Police Officers in the
City of DeRidder functionally have the same Police powers as
full-time Officers while on duty, although these powers are not
clearly stated in the regulations or Standard Operation
Procedures. In fact, Section 8. Duties
of Reserve Officers of the Standard Operation Procedures
states "The primary duty of the Reserve
Officer is to assist regular Officers in the performance of their
duties." (Note #25) Reserve Officers are allowed and expected to act as
Peace Officers. Although the term "Peace Officer" is defined
by Louisiana Statute to mean full-time employees of the state,
municipal, sheriff or public agencies, the prescribed duties include
"making of arrests, the performing of searches and seizures, or the
execution of criminal warrants, and is responsible for the
prevention or detection of crime or for the enforcement of the
penal, traffic, highway laws of the state." (Note #26) Reserve Police Officers hold these powers while acting
in their official capacity; i.e., in city limits and logged in with
the Department supervisor. Compounding this authority, Reserve
Officers are issued a Police idenification card which is titled
"Commission as Police Officer" and this appoints the Reserve Officer
as a Police Officer for the city with "full right and authority to
perform all the duties vested by law in such office..." (Note
#27) This is the same identification
card template issued to full-time Officers.
It is important to appreciate
both the "expected role" of the Reserve Police Officer and "powers"
they have. I do not imply that the expectations of the Reserve
Police Officer are mirror images of the full-time Police Officers of
this city. In fact, with appreciable overlap, they are not the
same. The Reserve Police Officers assume an assisting role;
and by practice, they are controlled to a large degree by the
supervisors of each shift. However, Police powers are given to
the Reserves to serve in these assisting roles. For example,
during a domestic dispute, a Reserve Officer may - and has the power
to do - arrest perpetrators; but the full-time or supervisory
Officers (who act as primary respondents) generally handle these
cases. In some calls for service, such as in more minor crimes
like loud music or disturbance calls, the Reserve Officer is
expected to enforce the law appropriately by issuing citations or
warnings; and it is a common occurrence that Reserve Officers,
without immediate supervision, issue traffic violator
citations.
The concept of "full-Police powers with supervision"
effectively works in this particular city and Department. The
number of Officers on each shift (one supervisor and generally two
or three full-time Officers) usually allow at least one full-time
Officer for each call; and line supervisors play an active role in
the field as they respond to calls of greater significance.
This practice allows more experienced Officers and supervisors the
ability to act as primary responding Officers and less experienced
Officers and Reserve Police Officers the opportunity to gain
experience under supervision.
The lack of clearly defined
roles, powers, or responsibilities of Reserve Officers in the city
is not a glaring weakness in this case. Departments with
larger numbers of Officers or calls for service may consider more
clearly defined expectations, or even limitations for their Reserve
Officers. Based on my experience and observations of this
Department, supervisors and senior Officers clearly assume the role
as primary Officers and serious crimes or crimes requiring follow-up
investigations are routed to investigators or handled by these
senior Officers.
The fifth purpose and objective
of the DeRidder Police Reserve Program
is to provide an emergency response
team of trained Officers subject to activation
in times of emergency. I address this section in two
parts.
-
The first is the "commitment
and availability" of the Reserve Officers to perform
the supporting role of the Police Department;
-
and in the second part, I address the "training requirements" for the Reserve
Officers.
Regarding the "emergency
response" goal, the
Standard Operating Procedures addresses this in three sections.
The
first section is written with the heading
"A Reserve Officer will have Police authority only under the
following conditions" and "when called to emergency duty by
the mayor of the City of DeRidder, the DeRidder Police Chief or
individuals who are authorized to activate the Police Reserve;"
(Note
#28) the second, "Reserve Officers must serve a
minimum of twenty hours of active duty each month;"
(Note #29)
and the third, "There are no maximum hours a
Reserve may contribute." (Note #30) It is clear that the city's Mayor and Police Chief
have the authority to activate the Reserve Police, but does not
clearly define the other "individuals" who have this
authorization. It can only be assumed that these are
higher-ranking members of the city government or of the Police
Department.
In examining several members of the 2002 Reserve Officers
class, a primary concern was for emergency
response time. Or simply put, how long would it
take for an activated Reserve Officer to report for emergency
duty? Although many factors could be explored, one method is
to determine how many miles from the Police Department does the
Reserve Officer reside. When asked how many miles was their
residence from City Hall (the Police Department), members of the
Reserve class reported a range from 2 miles to 20 miles. This
is well within the 30-mile radius residency requirements for
full-time Officers of the Department. In fact, the majority of
responding Reserve Officers reported an average of living
approximately 6.6 miles from City Hall. (Note #31)
This information may have its limitations when
one considers Reserve Officers may be at their full-time civilian
jobs when activated, and these work sites may be more distanct than
their residences. Also, one should consider whether the
supervisors of the civilian jobs would allow the Reserve police
Officer to be activated. The Standard Operation Procedures do
not address ramifications if the Reserve Officer refuses or is not
allowed to respond to emergencies nor does it require permission or
letters of understanding from civilian organizations regarding
employees engaging in this type of volunteer vocation.
Departments considering a Reserve Program, or those who actively
support one, may consider these as important factors in emergency
planning.
Although it is clear Reserve Officers must contribute at
least 20 hours per month, it does not specify how this number is
calculated or possible ramifications if the 20-hour requirement is
not met. For example, if a Reserve Officer completes 15 hours
of duty in one month and 25 hours the next, are they still in an
active status? Officers not meeting the standard may
ultimately be terminated, although it is not clearly defined.
The Standard Operating Procedure simply states, "An Officer in the Police Reserve may be
terminated at any time by the Chief of Police." (Note
#32) However, this clause may be
utilized for other reasons including dereliction of duty, immoral or
felonious acts, or simply bad conduct. The Reserve Officer
appears in this case to work at the pleasure of the Mayor or Police
Chief. Perhaps an alternate method of calculation with
possible disciplinary procedures needs to be more clearly
defined. There are many reasons a Reserve Police Officer may
be unable to complete the monthly time requirements, such as
military service or medical excuses. Some form of measure
should be in place to differentiate appropriate excuses from those
who have lost interest, reconsidered, or have no desire to continue
the program.
In examining the 2002 Reserve Police Class over a nine-month
period, the majority of these eleven Officers have satisfied, or
even surpassed, the 20-hour requirement. I make this statement
after calculating the time recorded in the Reserve logbook by
Reserve Officers in the period from October, 2002, (Graduation)
until June, 2003. Out of the eleven graduates of the 2002
Reserve class, nine were still actively involved with the Reserve
program at this time. Regarding the two Officers who left the
program, the first resigned after the first month (October, 2002)
for personal reasons; and the second was hired in November, 2002, as
a full-time Officer with the DeRidder Police Department,
deactivating his Reserve status. The remaining nine Officers
collectively have contributed 2,214 hours of active duty over a
nine-month period. This number calculates an average of each
Reserve Officer volunteering 246 hours over the nine-month
period. Based on this number, each Officer averaged about
27 hours per month.
However, these results must be taken with some caution when
considering an analysis of individual Officers and their average
times of service per month. Over the nine-month period, two
Officers performed below the 20-hour per month requirement, (11
hours and 17.6 hours per month averages). The first Officer
was injured at his civilian job and was not medically released for
several months during this period. The second Officer had
taken employment with a neighboring Police Department; and his
volunteer time with the DeRidder Police Department, although
allowed, was greatly limited. In fact, three out of the nine
Officers examined showed at least one month without any service
whatsoever; and six of the nine Officers had at least one month
where they fell below the 20-hour per month requirement.
On the other hand, two Officers averaged well above the
20-hour requirement over the 9-month period. The first Officer
averaged 66 hours per month, and the second highest averaged 49
hours per month. The first Officer was unemployed during the
majority of this period and had more time to volunteer, whereas the
second Officer was hired part-time by the DeRidder police Department
as a Dispatcher and was allowed to count the service as Reserve
time. I believe these factors account for the larger number of
hours compared with the others.
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Conclusions
To draw conclusions, the 20-hour per month requirement
appears to be reasonable; and when based upon average hours over the
nine-month period, most of the Reserve Officers surpassed the
number. Those who did not had apparent valid excuses for not
meeting them. As they are volunteers, Departments may elect to
evaluate their Reserves over a period of time as opposed to monthly
evaluations, considering the many legitimate reasons why these
required hours may not be satisfied. Therefore, Departments
should view the hour requirements by formally regulating and
accounting for the hours served, but maintaining, and even
expecting, extenuating circumstances as to why the minimum hours may
not be completed.
Regarding the training of Police Officers, the State of
Louisiana is very clear. In R.S. 40:2401, or Louisiana State
legal codes, the certification of Police Officers is defined.
Commonly referred to as Peace Officer Standards and
Training (POST), the language applies to the training of
full-time, commissioned Peace Officers. In this body of
law, the rules are very specific regarding the structure and content
of training academy courses and minimum standards that must be
obtained to certify Peace Officers in the state. The
members of the legislature, however, appear somewhat reluctant to
designate a specific training regime for Reserve police Officers,
but encourages the certification and training to equal that of
full-time Officers.
The section, in part, reads: "The language contained in the POST training
statutes (R.S. 40:2401 et seq.) addresses the training of full-time,
commissioned "Peace Officers" as defined. Although the
mandates contained therein apply only to full-time Officers, there
is no language in the body of the law that would preclude Reserve
Officers from being trained and certified ... In October of 1984,
the Council (on Peace Officers Standards and Training) made it
possible for agency administrators to decide whether or not they
wanted to have their Reserve Officers POST-trained and
certified. The choice to certify Reserves remains a
voluntary one..." (Note #33)
In short, Police Chiefs who
utilize Reserve Officers may allow, or require their Reserve
Officers to complete certification courses, or the Police Academy,
but they are not required by state law to make this a
requirement. However, it is a legal requirement that Reserve
Officers, like their full-time counterparts, successfully complete a
basic firearms training program and qualify successfully with the
sidearm they will carry. (Note #34) Therefore, Police Chiefs must elect the degree
of training Reserve Officers need before performing Police
functions.
In the DeRidder Reserve
Program, Reserve officers are not required to attend the Police
Academy, but must complete a Reserve Police-training program.
This program is offered primarily during the evening hours and on
weekends to accommodate the Reserve Cadet's civilian
employment. The training closely resembles formal Police
Academy training and is a mixture of both lecture and practical
applications. The instructors of the course are full-time
members of the Department who hold specific specialties and members
of the peripheral criminal justice community, such as the parish's
District Attorney. A cornerstone of the training course is
Basic Firearms Training, as required by state law.
Example Training
Schedule: According to the Standard Operating
Procedures, a skeleton training schedule is designated and includes
the following: Criminal Code (10 hours); Firearm Safety and
Qualification (15 hours); Patrol Procedures (6 hours); Accident
Investigation and Traffic (4 hours); first Aid (16 hours); Defensive
Tactics and Chemical Weapons (8 hours); and Report Writing
(6 hours). (Note #35) The approximated 70 hours of training were met and
exceeded in the 2002 Reserve Course. There were added
courses such as "Criminal Investigation," "Juvenile Procedures," and
"History of Law Enforcement" to name a few. I view this as a
sign of growth and flexibility. The secion mandates a minimum
requirement; but by practice, the Department is allowed to offer
courses that are more diverse or those deemed necessary or pertinent
for the time, such as domestic terrorism. Graduation from the
training course is offered only when cadets successfully pass a
written comprehension examination regarding all of these
topics.
On the Job Training: Another important aspect of training is
on-the-job training (OJT). After successful graduation from
formal training and formally "swearing in," Reserve Officers
receive on-the-job training. They are paired with full-time
and experienced Police Officers and act under their guidance.
This aspect is not mentioned or addressed in the Standard Operating
Procedures. The informal rule was that Reserve Officers
must complete 120 hours of
OJT. The DeRidder
Police are now in the process of reassessing this segment of the
training and plan to designate and formalize this segment.
Some of their concerns are the quality of the field training, such
as: "Are Reserve Officers performing tasks or just riding
along and observing?" Some of their efforts may produce a
formalized training regiment that would assign not only a certain
hourly requirement, but also a list of tasks that the Reserve
Officer must successfully complete before being allowed to
achieve full Reserve status. Some of the tasks, for example,
would be to complete an accident report, file an offense report, and
perform Dispatching duties.
Another aspect under
reconsideration is the monthly meeting requirements. According
to the Standard Operating Procedures, "All (Reserve) Officers are
required to attend a meeting which is scheduled monthly ... for the
purpose of continued training. (Note #36) As of this writing, the meetings are sporadic
and usually are held for weapons qualification and
familiarization. In reconsideration, plans are being made to
actively utilize this opportunity to better and more consistently
train the Reserve Police Officers. This is a remarkable
opportunity to address contemporary concerns as they happen, to
formalize group meetings of the Reserves, since often Reserves
perform their volunteer work at various times, and allows the
opportunity to pass along criminal and other information.
Although occurring monthly, this would serve as a formalized
roll-call, a common practice of Officers meeting before a shift to
receive updates and assignments, as well as upcoming training
opportunities.
The DeRidder Police Department
elects not to require POST certification for their Reserve Police
Officers. This is not uncommon as POST certification is a
costly and time consuming endeavor. Reserve Officers who are
hired full-time must complete the entire academy regardless of their
Reserve training and experiences. What may appear to be
impractical is to require Reserve Police Officers to complete the
academy. The common Reserve Police Officer holds full-time
employment and would have to ignore their civilian jobs to complete
nearly three months of training. Also, the question surfaces
as to who bears the expense of the academy training?
Generally, full-time Officers are paid their salary rate to
attend the academy; and the tuition of the training is borne by the
Department. If Reserve Officers were asked to commit their
time and money for this volunteer work, there may be difficulty in
finding potential Reserve Officers. If the Department elects
to bear the expenses of the training, there is no guarantee the
Officer will remain as a Reserve, but may take the commission to
other Departments for full-time employment. In this case, the
Department has lost their investment.
By using a Reserve Officer
Program, the Police Department only bears the expenses of providing
uniforms and equipment for each Officer. Currently, Reserve
Officers are given one complete uniform, a duty belt, a badge and
nameplate, ammunition case, pepper spray and case, and handcuffs and
case. Portable radios are shared by Reserve Officers and are
left at the station. Several Police flashlights, raincoats,
and cold weather jackets are available during the Reserve Officer's
shift, but are not individually assigned.
The Department's cost is
greatly reduced by requiring the Reserve Police Officers to have
purchased or own a sidearm, which are restricted to certain calibers
and styles. (Note #37) Ammunition for qualification and for
service is provided by the Department. Reserve Officers are
furthermore required to have work boots or black colored shoes and
are allowed to some degree to purchase various Police supplies such
as gloves and extra handcuff arraignments; but these are not
required. One particular item of most importance that is not
provided by the Department is the soft ballistic body armor.
The soft body armor is provided to full-time Officers; but if a
Reserve Police Officer wishes to wear one, he or she must provide
their own. These items range in price from approximately
$300-$700 dollars, depending on various factors and would nearly
cost as much as the firearm. The Police Department must,
therefore, provide some financial support regarding uniforms,
equipment, and ammunition but off-sets this cost by requiring
Reserve Officers to purchase or own boots, firearms, and body armor
(if desired).
The Reserve Officer has the opportunity to explore Police
work in an active manner. Also, the Officer has the chance to
observe the operations of the Police Department and can make better
evaluations as to whether full-time employment is desirable.
The Officer may decide that Police work is not what they wish to
pursue or Police work is still a desirable aspiration, but a
different Department may be more agreeable.
If Police administrators recognize this goal for their
Reserve programs, they must consider that not all Reserve Officers
desire full-time employment. Out of the 2002 Reserve class,
only three Officers reported they would accept full-time employment
with the DeRidder Police Department if offered after the Reserve
training program. Some of the Reserve Officers reported
reductions in salary or losing retirement years in their current
professions were major factors in this response. Others
reported they were quite satisfied with their current occupations
and serve as a Reserve Officer for other reasons.
Citizen involvement in local Law Enforcement is not a new
concept; and despite several reinventions still remains in our
contemporary communities. Holding foundations in the hue and cry and posses in our early
heritages, the use of citizens in Law Enforcement roles still
remains strong. Although I focused specifically on the Reserve
Police Program in DeRidder, Louisiana, Police Departments nationwide
who are considering starting a Reserve Officer Program, or who wish
to re-evaluate an existing one, may share common
concerns.
For either designing or re-evaluating Reserve Police Officer
Programs, it is fundamentally important to have very clear and
useful Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) or some form of written
policies. Most Police organizations are structured around such
guidelines, and the use of these is generally commonplace. A
well-structured policy will show the purpose of the Reserve Program,
will address selection criteria of citizens, will designate training
and evaluation methods, and will purport controls and
limitations.
Police Departments should design clear mission goals of their
Reserve Police Programs. The goals of the programs should not
be disigned to replace shortages in a Police Department, but the
Reserve Officers should be in place to assist full-time Officers in
performance of their duties. Additionally, the Reserve
programs should formally place controls and limitations on their
Reserve Officers while allowing room for professional growth.
Finally, Departments should be very selective in their hiring
criteria, and effectively train, evaluate, and encourage their
Reserve Officers. In these ways, a strong Reserve component of
any Police Department is mutually beneficial to both the Police and
the community.
########
_________________________________________________________________
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Author's
Biography: Dr.
Michael J. Kane is currently the Director of Justice
Studies at the Mountain State University in Beckley WV. His contact
information is listed below. When this article was written, he
was a member of the DeRidder Police Department in Louisiana, as a
Reserve Police Officer. He also held the position of Assistant
Professor of Criminal Justice at Northwestern State University in
Leesville, Louisiana. His primary research interests are
small-town Police Departments and forensic science topics. He
has held various academic appointments at many colleges and
universities such as Pfeiffer University (NC), West Virginia State
College, West Virginia University and Technicao College, Marshall
University (WV), and Park University (CA) to name a few. He
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law Enforcement, a Masters of
Science degree in Forensic Sciences, and a Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) degree in Criminal Justice.
Prior to full-time teaching, he has held
professional appointments as Chief of Operations (West Virginia
Medical Examiner's Officer), Chief Medicolegal Investigator,
Investigator for the Prosecuting Attorney, Correctional Counselor,
United State Marine Corps (Corrections Specialist), and Charlotte
Police Officer (NC).
When not teaching and attending to his
duties as Director of Justice Studies at Mountain State University
in West Virginia, he resides with his wife and son in Beckley, West
Virginia.
Contact Information:
Michael J. Kane,
Ph.D.
Moutain State University
Director of Justice
Studies
P.O. Box 9003
Beckley, WV 25802
(304)
929-1308 mkane@mountainstate.edu
_____________________________________________________
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NOTES
-
-
After the Norman Conquest
(1066), King Alfred the Great divided England into Shires, or
geographic divisions resembling a country or parish in
contemporary United States. A Reeve or overseer was
appointed to administer the Shires on behalf of the King.
The origin of the word Sheriff is believed by most to be a
combination of the words Shire and Reeve.
-
-
Ibid.
-
Information derived from
the United States Census (2000).
-
Information
Derived from the Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
-
DeRidder Police
Department Police Reserve Unit Standing Operating Procedures,
Section 1, part C. This information is available
through the DeRidder Police Department by permission
only.
-
Ibid., Section 2, part
A-E
-
Ibid., Section 3, part
A
-
General Regulations
DeRidder Police Reserves, page 2. Similar to the
Standing Operating Procedures, this information is available
through the DeRidder Police Department by permission
only.
-
Ibid., page 3
-
Ibid., Section 3, part
C
-
Ibid., Section 4, part
A
-
Ibid., Section 4, part B
and Section 7, part B
-
Ibid., Section 6 part
D
-
The provision is found in
Louisiana code, Chapter 18: 2405 Peace Officers Standards and
Training Law, paragraph A3. It reads, "nothwithstanding
any provisions of law to the contrary, no reserve or part-time
peace officer shall be permitted to carry a concealed weapon
unless he (sic) is in actual discharge of his official duties as a
reserve or part-time peace officer or he possesses a concealed
handgun permit properly issued in his name pursuant to the
provisions of R.S. 40:1379.3 or he has been certified by the
Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training under the same
standards as full-time officers. This law (R.S. 40:1379.3)
allows certain qualified citizens the right to carry a concealed
weapon with some restriction and is not specifically a benefit for
a reserve officer, but to most citizens of the state.
-
Webster's Encyclopedic
Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, New Jersey:
Gramercy Books, 1989-270.
-
Ronald D. Hunter, Pamela
D. Mayhall, and Thomas Barker, Police-Community Relations and
the Administration of Justice, 5th Ed., New Jersey;
Prentice-Hall, 2000-3.
-
This information was
provided by permission of the reserve officers. As the
author of this manuscript, I represent the university
professor. As in qualitative studies, I am both participant
and observer where I am at the time of this writing an active
member of the DeRidder Police Reserve Unit. I have excluded
myself to a large degree from the study because like most
professors of criminal justice, I have over 15 years of agency
experience and training, and my motivations and purpose for
joining are more unique than the others. Furthermore, this
study was approved by the DeRidder Police Department.
-
The direct quotations are
presented by permission of the officers.
-
Ibid.
-
C. Gorer, "Modification of
National Character: The Role of the Police in England,"
Journal of Social Issues 11 (1955): 24-32; Arthur
Neiderhoffer, Behind the Shield: The Police in Urban Society,
New York: Anchor Books, 1967-140; M. Steven Meager and Nancy
A. Yentes, "Choosing a Career in Policing: A Comparision of
Male and Female Perceptions," Journal of Police Sciences and
Administration 14 (1986): 320-327.
-
G.F. Meunier and T.
Koontz. "Psychological Characteristics of Reserve Police Officer"
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychological 10, no. 3
(1995): 57-59.
-
B.L. Berg and W.G.
Doerner. "Volunteer Police Officers: An Unexamined Personnel
Dimension in Law Enforcement." American Journal of Police
7, no. 1 (1988): 81-89.
-
DeRidder Police
Department Police Reserve Unit Standing Operating Procedures,
Section 8, part A. This information is available
through the DeRidder Police Department by permission
only.
-
Chapter 18, Peace
Officer Standards and Training Law, Section 2402.1
Definitions.
-
A copy of this
identification card is available by request through the
department; however, this is a controlled item and not readily
distributed.
-
DeRidder Police
Department Police Reserve Unit Standing Operating Procedures,
Section 6, part A, paragraph 3.
-
Ibid., paragraph
4.
-
Ibid., paragraph
5.
-
The average was calculated
based on information from six (n=6) of the reserve
officers.
-
DeRidder Police
Department Police Reserve Unit Standing Operating Procedures,
Section 7, part B.
-
For a complete description
of the POST training policies and council, see Louisiana Code
Chapter 18: 2401-2406.
-
Louisiana Code, Chapter
18, 2405. A.2.
-
DeRidder Police
Department Police Reserve Unit Standing Operating Procedures,
Section 4, part A.
-
Ibid., part
D.
-
Currently, the approved
weapons are a .38 special or .357 magnum revolver with a four-inch
barrel or a 9 mm, .40 caliber or .45 caliber semiautomatic and
double action pistol. The department must approve all
weapons, regardless of caliber and style.
...End of
Notes...
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