Reserve Policing in the United States: Citizens Volunteering for Public Service

Reserve and auxiliary law enforcement volunteers are an understudied but potentially valuable asset to communities and criminal justice agencies. Recently, this area of policing has been under the microscope of the media, which has also created some public awareness of the role of these programs in modern law enforcement. The apparent accidental shooting of a suspect in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by a reserve officer in April 2015 and the death of a police reserve officer during a gun battle with a burglary suspect in May 2015 have led to increased public examination of reserve policing programs throughout the United States. The media has focused on a perceived lack of training in volunteer policing, while many agencies that include these community-minded individuals have responded with support for the programs. With diminishing resources, shrinking budgets, and the demand for qualified personnel continuing to rise, many police agencies rely on volunteers to help offset their costs.1 But, beyond the need to do more with less, volunteering in police work can create a positive partnership between members of the community and their local government.2