Police Department

Volunteer Services Unit announces testing date for Reserves

Sgt. Lydia Taylor, 509.481.8565

Monday, February 24, 2014 at 9 a.m.

Reserve Officers are a critical component of the Spokane Police Department and assist full-time officers with patrol-related duties, including: exercising powers of arrest; enforcing motor vehicle laws; operation of police vehicle under emergency conditions; responding to crime scenes and performing criminal investigations; involvement in special operations, and being available for special details and call-outs. Reserves are un-paid volunteers. Applicants that are selected into the program attend a 270 hour Reserve Officer Academy. The Academy includes Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening classes (6 to 10 p.m.) and all day Saturday training, which cumulates with a certification examination administered by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission prior to graduation.

The next Reserve Academy will start in September 2014. To be a Reserve Officer you must be 20 years of age at the time of application and 21 at the time of appointment, have a high school diploma or equivalent with a minimum GPA of 2.0, a valid driver license with no suspensions within the last 5 years; meet department drug usage standards and criminal history standards; and you must be a US citizen or a legal alien.

Once the Academy training is complete, Reserve Officers carry a full police commission while on duty and work side by side with our full time officers to enforce city and state laws. Volunteers who become Reserve Officers are able to have a flexible patrol schedule. All applicants who attend the Reserve Academy are asked to commit to a minimum of two-years with the program and be able to attend training once a month on Wednesday evenings, as well as volunteer a minimum of 20 hours per month.

There are several steps towards becoming a Reserve Officer, the first of which is a Physical Agility Assessment, which includes at 300 meter sprint, push-ups, sit-ups and a mile and a half run.

The first date for the Physical Agility Assessment is March 8th at 10 a.m. at the Spokane Police Academy, 2302 N. Waterworks. There will be future tests in April and May. Those interested in participating in the program should contact our Volunteer Services Unit at 509.363.8283.

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