Reserve Officer

[USMC169]

I want to become a peace officer just not full time. Do most agency's (mainly San Bernardino County Sheriffs) use reserve officers. I was thinking about going to the San Bernardino Valley College Post Academy on my own and then apply as a Reserve Officer to SBCSD. Does anyone think that is a bad idea??

The reason why I only want to become is because I love my current job but still want to becom a police officer.

[RickD427]

I want to become a peace officer just not full time. Do most agency's (mainly San Bernardino County Sheriffs) use reserve officers. I was thinking about going to the San Bernardino Valley College Post Academy on my own and then apply as a Reserve Officer to SBCSD. Does anyone think that is a bad idea??

The reason why I only want to become is because I love my current job but still want to becom a police officer.

There are two types of folks that tend to make good reserve officers: 1) Those that want to "check out" the field before making it a career, and 2) Those that have a career interest in LE, but are committed to other full-time work.

Agencies use their reserves differently. Some have them fully integrated into their staffs, others use them as very limited adjuncts to their staffs. There's pros and cons to each. It would be wise to find an organization that suits your situation.

There is a lot of training involved and you'll need to accommodate that commitment. If your desire is to work for one of the "fully integrated" type agencies, you'll need to reach a POST Level I Designated status. Plan on about 2000 hours of academy and field training to get there. That status also provides you 24/7 peace officer status and the ability to transition to a full-time position without repeating the academy.

Lower training certifications (Level I (non-Designated), Level II and Level III) provide you with "on-duty" peace officer status only. As a Level I you can perform the full range of LE duties. At Level II and Level III, you have a number of restrictions on the scope of duties you can perform, and on the level of supervision that you require.

At the working level, there are a lot of reserves that have skill levels fully equal to their full-time counterparts. Those folks are worth their weight in gold. It takes a lot of work to get to that point, but it's well worth it.

There's also a lot of reserves that join for the peace officer status, or for the CCW and who just don't commit the effort required to thrive. Those folks also tend to stand out, and they don't tend to last very long.

If you're up for the work involved, I'd give it a shot.

[USMC169]

Thanks for the info. I would LOVE to become a full time officer. There is just two things holding me back, my wife and my current job. That is why the reserve officer is my best choice for me. Again, thanks for the great info.

[SeanCasey]

FWIW I went through the SBVC academy and one of my class mates got picked up by San Bernardino Sheriff's (fulltime) and is in FTO now.

My guess is that since you are working you are looking at the Extended Basic Academy?

[USMC169]

FWIW I went through the SBVC academy and one of my class mates got picked up by San Bernardino Sheriff's (fulltime) and is in FTO now.

My guess is that since you are working you are looking at the Extended Basic Academy?

You sir are correct. I am either going to do the extended basic academy or maybe the modulars. I'm leaning towards the extended because it is less days during the week.

[SeanCasey]

I did the extended basic, I was in Class 030. Feel free to PM any questions you may have about SBVC.

[Ken Woodford]

It's been 27 years since I started the process but from what I remember you can go to the 3 level of reserve classes and become a reserve. Going through the extended academy qualifies you to work as a LEO and get paid. I know level 1 or III I don't remember which can take a unit out work alone...for no pay.

So I guess I don't understand why you want to go through the extended academy and work as a reserve.

For the record...although I retired from SBSD I did not go through their academy. I went through Rio Hondo.

[epilepticninja]

In the 90's, I was a Level 1 deputy with one agency, a Level II police officer with another agency and on active duty in the Air Force, all at the same time. I didn't sleep much for six years. I enjoyed the experience and was in the process of leaving active duty early as I had made it thru the hiring process for LAPD and had received an academy date. Unfortunately, Uncle Sam decided at the last minute that they needed me more overseas and cancelled my early release. By the time I eventually made it back stateside, I had an offer with a DoD contractor that I decided to take and didn't pursue a career in LE.

For the OP, I would suggest knocking out your Level III and Level II courses and apply to the agency you are interested in. It takes awhile (up to a year) to get thru the hiring process for reserves. While all that is going on, work on your Level I course. The reason I say that, is that the role of a reserve changes dramatically once you go from Level II to Level I. You have to make it thru FTO to become a Level I (non-designated,) but once you have passed that, you are pretty much on your own and work alone. Level II's always have fulltime supervision or are partnered up with a fulltime officer/deputy.

If you are on active duty, check with your legal office about off-duty employment which involves carrying a weapon. I got to into a major fight with base legal as they didn't want to sign the waiver. My CO eventually had to step in and got them to clear me. They figured it was up to Uncle Sam to get me killed, not the county and city agencies I was working for. Even though I never went fulltime, being a reserve was a great experience that gave me a unique perspective on what it is really like on the other side of the badge. Anyways, good luck on your endeavor.

[Notorious]

I started as a career reserve, then changed my mind and went full time after deciding I didn't like my full time job so much. SBVC is the only game in town for extended format now, isn't it? I think Rio and Golden West stopped theirs. In any event, SBSD has a great reserve deputy program and they receive top rate training at their academy for inservice. Put in for it and go for it, the reserve program is one of the best things for people who want to give back a little to their community but have a full time job.

[ryang]

There are two types of folks that tend to make good reserve officers: 1) Those that want to "check out" the field before making it a career, and 2) Those that have a career interest in LE, but are committed to other full-time work.

I would say only second category makes good reserve officers. The first will either go full time, drop out when they can't go full time or drop out when they decide it's not for them. None of those make for a good reserve.

If your desire is to work for one of the "fully integrated" type agencies, you'll need to reach a POST Level I Designated status.

What's your definition of "fully integrated"? There's one agency (Broadmoor, about .45 sq. miles) that allows Level IIs to ride/patrol solo. Other agencies allow non-designated Level Is to become RO, EVOC or DT instructors. Some have Reserve warrant teams that go out and serve arrest warrants. So mileage does vary by department.

[Notorious]

I served a warrant as part of a team with full timers my first month out as a reserve. It depends a lot on the agency and how you earn your spot with the guys. As with everything, you prove yourself as an officer and earn their trust and they will ask to have you do as much as the department brass allows.

[RickD427]

I would say only second category makes good reserve officers. The first will either go full time, drop out when they can't go full time or drop out when they decide it's not for them. None of those make for a good reserve.


What's your definition of "fully integrated"? There's one agency (Broadmoor, about .45 sq. miles) that allows Level IIs to ride/patrol solo. Other agencies allow non-designated Level Is to become RO, EVOC or DT instructors. Some have Reserve warrant teams that go out and serve arrest warrants. So mileage does vary by department.

I can see your point on the first category of reserve. I listed them because there are some people that are unsuited for LE work. It's a lot better for everyone to discover that before they become reliant on the paycheck and give up their primary career. My experience has been that more of them prove to be good officers and we benefit when they move on to full-time positions. We may never had recruited those folks but for the reserve option. For the minority that don't work out, it's a smaller price to be paid than if they started off full-time.

By "Fully Integrated", I mean an officer who can do anything that their full-time counterparts can do. A Level I (non-designated) comes real close, but falls short in two respects: 1) A non-designated Level I has to be appointed under PC section 830.6. That prevents "lateral" movement into a full-time position. A designated Level I may be appointed under section 830.1. That makes the transition much easier. 2) Most agencies (mine included) will not permit a non designated Level I to perform supervisory duties. Ours can (and do) perform all of the specialized and independent functions you've mentioned.

[epilepticninja]

There's one agency (Broadmoor, about .45 sq. miles) that allows Level IIs to ride/patrol solo.

Yuba City PD in NorCal had kicked this idea around about a year ago once they cleared FTO. They pitched it to the mayor and city council as a cost saving measure. Not sure it ever came to fruition.

[socalblue]

Originally Posted by ryang
There's one agency (Broadmoor, about .45 sq. miles) that allows Level IIs to ride/patrol solo.

Yuba City PD in NorCal had kicked this idea around about a year ago once they cleared FTO. They pitched it to the mayor and city council as a cost saving measure. Not sure it ever came to fruition.

Broadmoor PD (http://www.broadmoorpolice.org/) is an odd duck, being the only Police Protective District left in CA. Formed to serve a specific unincorporated section of San Mateo County, they may well have some odd grandfathered waivers.

[Notorious]

Didn't know Level 2 reserves can be alone...