St. George, LA Builds a New Police Force Around Volunteer Reserve Officers
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The new St. George Police Department is building its law-enforcement presence around a volunteer reserve officer model, creating a new example of how part-time personnel can supplement a community's primary law-enforcement agency. The City of St. George, Louisiana, has begun expanding its Volunteer Reserve Officer Program, with the first two reserve officers named in May and additional applicants moving through the selection process. City officials envision growing the program to approximately eight to ten reserve officers over the next several years, with the officers serving on a part-time, volunteer basis.
Importantly, the program is not intended to replace the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, which will remain the primary law-enforcement agency responding to calls for service in St. George. Instead, St. George Police Chief Todd Morris described the reserve officers as a supplemental resource that can provide additional patrol and enforcement capacity, particularly for traffic and speeding enforcement, major events, road closures, and other situations where additional personnel are needed. The city has allocated nearly $300,000 during the current budget year to establish the program, including marked police vehicles, uniforms, equipment, and computer systems. Reserve officers are also expected to receive the same training as regular police officers.
For the volunteer law-enforcement community, St. George's approach is particularly noteworthy because city leaders have envisioned a reserve organization from the city's inception, allowing people to serve in law enforcement during their off-hours from other careers. The model demonstrates how a community can expand its public-safety capabilities without attempting to immediately build an entirely full-time police workforce. As St. George moves toward its goal of a larger reserve force, the program will provide another important case study in how trained volunteer officers can supplement professional law enforcement, put more boots on the ground, and provide additional services while maintaining the existing sheriff's office as the primary responder.
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