Auxilliary Police

[VicServ]

Does your department or a department that you are familiar have APs? What tends to be the consensus among LEOs about having this program? Yes? No? Help or hinderance? What amount and type of training should APs have so they are not a danger to themselves or others?

[Krmptss]

Being an AUX for the last 2 months I've found that the "Big Boys" do appreiciate us. Some of them where former auxs themselves. We still get Sh*t from the old guys, who have been on the force since the Roosevelt administration :D . But over all we work as a team. The city, Chief, and full-time officers like it because we provide free officers for the crap jobs. If a tree falls in a storm, we are called out to "babysit" the tree till someone removes it. We "babysit" power lines till the power company comes to rewire. Other than that we do traffic detail.
We do go out on patrol at night. And since most of us are certified reserved officers( meanning we went through the reserve academy and have about half the knowledge and training as full-time officers) we do have police power. But due to Union power, ours get limited to "dump the beer & get out of here" :D Plus we don't get paid to go to court so why make an arrest :rolleyes:
Several members on the Aux force has gone through the full-time academy and are starting to "share" their knowledge and experience with the rest of us. Which will in turn make us a little smarter and hopefully a little safer when we are out at night.

On the other hand. In the next city over some A-hole Aux got busted in uniform selling to two undercover officers.
If you act with respect for your position and have a firm grasp of "scope of power" then you will/can be an asset to the city and department. If not well....

Used without permission: <a href="http://www.hapd.org" target="_blank">My AUX Department</a>

<small>[ 01-04-2003, 08:32 PM: Message edited by: MK219 ]</small>

[PeteBroccolo]

Auxiliary Constables in the RCMP are unpaid volunteer civilians. In Saskatchewan, the program has been going only since 1993, but in British Columbia since at least the early 1970s. They receive some limited training which varies across the country - in B.C. it is 2 nights a week over 6 months, but in Saskatchewan it is an initial 7 day & night introduction, followed by another 7 day & night course about 6 months later.

Each Province must have regulations in place authorizing the appointment of persons as Special Constables, with LIMITED powers of a Peace Officer ONLY when accepted into the RCMP A/Cst program AND when actually under the direct supervision of an RCMP Regular Member (full time Peace Officer). These regulations then provide for Workers Compensation coverage if the A/Cst is injured, or killed, in the line of duty.

Our A/Csts NEVER work alone, are NOT allowed to operate patrol vehicles NOR are they authorized to regularly carry firearms, although they are authorized to use the shotguns IF a threat calls for such force, and are familiarized with our pistols in case they need to take our sidearm if we are incapacitated.

I enjoy having an A/Cst along on patrol with me - they must volunteer a minimum of 160 hours per year, and most that I have worked with have done at least double that.

The RCMP provides the A/Cst with free uniform, soft body armour, OC spray, ASP baton, cuffs. If they have worked long enough, they will often be issued with a dress uniform as well, although not the Red Serge tunic we wear.

[Watchman]

What you call "Auxilarys" we call Reserves.

We have 30 full time deputys and 20 Reserves.

It is unusual for full time deputys to not have at least one Reserve working with them.

As budgets get cut or postitions eliminated the dept. is more and more dependent on Reserves.

We go though 150 hours of training. We qualify to shoot, by law we can be paid up to 20 hours a week before it becomes mandantory to attend the fulltime academy. We have full powers of arrest, carry guns,drive by ourselves and on many occasions, due to sick leave, vaction,training or whatever, we are at times the only one on shift covering the whole county. Lately, the Army reserve call up has been hitting us hard as it has removed several people from key positions.

I understand that it is quite different up north, but here one is as likely to encounter a reserve as all of the towns around here use them exstensivley for one reason of another.When on duty, we appear to be very well recieved by the fulltimers and enjoy a great working environment with them. We are usally thanked by all when we check in 10-7.

Personally, I think one could train for years and not be ready for everything that he encounters on patrol, but you have to have a happy medium some where.

Like most depts, several of the fulltimers were Reserves at one time or another. Any time an opening comes up, they'll usually ask the Reserves if any one wants it first. In most cases with the Reserves we have now, it would be a drastic paycut to become fulltime.

Basically, you can do as much as you want or as little as the 8 hour a month requirement. Most Reserves will do around 15-20 hours a month.That includes transports, drug raids,sobriety checks, Marijuana eradication, manhunts and all of the other "fun" stuff. If they have a potentially dangerous situation, they'll page us out.We also do boat patrols in the summer,we call it the "babe watch" and assist the rescue units when needed. We do football,baseball,basketball games, and will attend some functions at the university here. We do fairs, rodeos and several local yearly functions as well as the parades. If we do happen upon a felony in progress, we are expected to handle it and ask for assistance, that happens on occasion, awhile back a thug attempted to rob a PDQ, unfortunatley for him, there was a Reserve at the pump gettin gas. He captured the perp at gunpoint and had the fulltimers take him in.Then he had to do a report at the station.

There ya have it.It can be "interesting" at times.
I am a Reserve. Not a fulltimer and glad of it. If the job gets to you , you can just stop and go home when youve had enough. Its really the best of both worlds.

[Bob A]

As a former auxiliary, my experience is that most FT officers are glad to have help from anywhere they can get it, unless you act like a yahoo.

There is a small minority who will treat you like you're "playing cop." The fact is that Aux or FT, each individual has their own reasons for doing the job. The Aux. usually either just doesn't want to work for the lousy pay, or wants to get a foot in the door, so to speak.

Be professional, keep your eyes open, and remember that training is your best weapon almost all the time. That and that badge on your shirt does not have a big red "S" on it. Stay safe.

[Southpaw]

Our dept. is almost exactly like Watchman's. A lot of our full-timers started out as reserves (including the Sheriff) and as long as you are professional and not some Yay-hoo, you are treated that way.

We go through a state Reserve Academy and are certified like the full-timers. We are also "encouraged" to take any training the full-timers do such as driver training, firearms, active shooter, etc. This helps tremendously with the liability issue as we function in the same ways (solo patrol, etc.)

Most of us are treated very well by the full-timers... especially when they want days off or when holidays come up :D

[dcinns]

As an A/Cst with the RCMP in Nova Scotia for three years I can honestly say I have always felt welcome when on patrol. Our duties are as described by Pete. I assist in searches of vehicles & persons, help place people in to custody (especially those you don't wish to be!), but mostly just watch my parters back for the shift. Having two members in a car DOES make a difference. I average 300 hours per year and enjoy most of it...probably more because I don't have to do it!

[IrishCop3]

I've never heard of Auxiliary (Reserves) having police powers? This is not the case in Michigan. Our reserves are civilians and NOT certified law enforcement officers. They are a good asset, however, to the department in providing a physical presence at major events and handling some of the minor runs where a police officer is not required.

[Watchman]

Irishcop;

Is a state by state thing. On New Years day the reserves along with the Sherrif and all of the fultimers were swore in and issued New ID cards.We were all in it together in the court room raising our right hands and saying the oath.

In this state we must be certifed to tote a gun and have powers of arrest. Lots of states dont do this, their auxilarys are little more that gofers and unarmed security guards. In many states of the south, reserves are relied on heavily to augment the force.

If you get stopped by a reserve here,unless you know they guy there is no difference. You'll still have to go to the courthouse and pay your ticket. Our .45s shoot just as well as the fulltimers. We take calls, do traffic accidents and pretty much do everything that the fulltimers do and when we take shifts we are expected to perform equally.

About the only thing we cant do is run radar (we arent certifed, but then neither are all of the Fulltimers)are do a PBT. Really, we dont need a PBT, it just makes it easier than doing a test.Ive never had one DWI come back to me yet.

Actually, one of our Reserves is certifed to run radar, he was a Fulltimer city cop, got a better paying job, and wanted to keep his foot in the door because he enjoyed being in Law Enforcement.He is a good officer and very capable.

In each state it is different.Sometimes it is amusing to see the differences.

[Sig220Man]

In California there are three types of Reserve Police Officers.

To save bandwidth, I won't get into the intricate details of each, but basically two of the three types have general police powers while on duty. That means they can make arrests, do traffic enforcement, serve warrants, etc. Just like the full-timers.

Depending when you graduated, and how much academy hours you have, you can either ride solo, or must have a full-timer with you. Again here there are exceptions to the rule.

How Reserve Officers are implemented will depend on the department. Some, like Watchman's, heavily depend on them and treat them with the same respect as the full-timers. Others, unfortunately, treat their Reserves badly, making them little more than armed Police Explorers.

Most Reserve Officers are not paid for working patrol, but at some agencies they are reimbursed for things like uniforms, court appearances, and sometimes special details. Very few agencies (at least in CA) pay their Reserves to work patrol.

Some departments gladly use Reserve Officers to augment staffing; at others, to even mention having a lower-paid (or unpaid) "scab" taking overtime money away from a full-timer is simply unthinkable.

Some departments have different uniform insignia, or even different uniforms, for their Reserves. At others, you won't know unless you ask.

In CA, there are very few things that a fully qualified, patrol-level Reserve Officer cannot do, that a full-timer can. To my knowledge, Radar Traffic enforcement isn't one of them. What keeps more CA Reserves from being radar qualified is the 40 hour training requirement, which is too much time away from work for most of them.

Also in CA, a Reserve Officer cannot CCW without a permit issued by their Chief or Sheriff. Some grant the CCW upon graduation from the academy, a few don't give CCW's at all, but the majority will grant a CCW as long as certain conditions are met (like successful completion of the FTO program).

<small>[ 01-06-2003, 12:50 AM: Message edited by: Sig220Man ]</small>