City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 03
Chapter 03.10
Section 03.10.030
 

Title 03 Administration and Personnel

Chapter 03.10 Police Division

Section 03.10.030 Police Volunteer Force
  1. Pursuant to city council resolutions and ordinance, the police division has been authorized to create and maintain a variety of volunteer forces including law enforcement explorer scouts, reserve police officers, senior and specialized volunteers and the utilization, via contract with the Spokane Community College system, of law enforcement co-op students and interns. A city council resolution authorizes the screening, appointment, training, scheduling, supervision and equipping of these volunteers in exchange for their voluntarily contributed hours of service to the citizens of the City of Spokane via the police department in many different categories and assignments. In some cases volunteers are reimbursed for expenses such as travel, meals, lodging and training costs. The City also provides the necessary uniforms and safety and other equipment for these volunteers to utilize in the course of their duties.
  1. A police reserve corps (“the reserve”) is created and established as an organization composed of individuals who shall have been appointed and sworn in as members thereof by the chief of police or by a designated assistant chief. The number of members of the reserve may be increased or decreased by any number deemed advisable by the chief during any fiscal year but shall not exceed two hundred at any time. Members are volunteer workers only, serve gratuitously, and are not deemed to be employees of the City for any purpose.
    1. The chief establishes the requirements for membership in the reserve and may include physical, mental, aptitude, personality inventory and character standards and the successful completion of a training program. The chief may require a physical examination to be given at the City’s expense.
    1. Whenever a person has met all of the requirements and has certified that he has read the provisions of this section the chief may, but is not required to, appoint and swear in such person as a member of the reserve.
    1. The chief, with or without cause, may terminate the membership of any member at any time and any member may resign at any time by written notification to the chief. Any person who shall cease to be a member shall immediately surrender all property of the City issued to him.
    1. The chief of police has complete authority and control over the reserve. The chief may establish by order rules and regulations governing the reserve and its members, providing for the maintenance of discipline and the assigning of members to perform duties.
      1. Each member of the reserve serves at least two assigned shifts each calendar month.
      1. Each member of the reserve, while on duty, has the same power and authority, except to the extent that the same may be restricted or limited by the chief, as a regular police officer. Each member at all times other than while serving as such does not have any status, power, authority or duties as a police officer or as a peace officer and may not represent himself, identify or hold himself out to be a police officer or a peace officer. Each item issued to a member of the reserve remains the property of the City.
    1. Each member of the reserve may be issued at City expense equipment including a regulation firearm, a uniform, a regulation police baton, a cap badge and a badge, and an identification card.
    1. The offense of criminal impersonation, as defined in SMC 10.07.021, includes impersonation of a member of the police reserve.
      1. The mayor is authorized to include members of the reserve in the City’s industrial insurance program as volunteers and to thereby provide medical aid benefits for injury proximately resulting from and suffered while on duty.
      1. The mayor is directed to include members of the reserve among the officers and employees of the City whose actions are covered by the City’s liability insurance. Members of the reserve have no other personnel benefits.
    1. The mayor may cause members of the police reserve to be registered emergency services workers.

Date Passed: Monday, April 8, 2013

Effective Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2013

ORD C34965 Section 1