Part-time or Reserve Officers?

[NathanD]

I think you and I are on the same page and I’m not picking on you, but…

The trouble with thinking you can walk away anytime is that on any given shift, you can be involved in events which entangle you and prevent you from walking away cleanly. One morning you can think you’re free as a bird, and that night be in the centre of a sh*tstorm which could lead to financial ruin, public and private ostracism, and prison sentences. You’re in control until you’re not.

That’s 100% valid. Having said that, it’s all weighing risk. My point was more along the lines of “things get stupid” or “admin changes for the worse” or “my life circumstances changed and I don’t wanna anymore”.

[60167]

One morning you can think you’re free as a bird, and that night be in the centre of a sh*tstorm which could lead to financial ruin, public and private ostracism, and prison sentences. You’re in control until you’re not.

This right here is the reason why this isn't optimal. I love the idea of working a little bit, giving back to the community, scratching an itch, making a little bit of extra money. It's all upside until I remember the fact that life comes at ya fast.

[60167]

This right here is the reason why this isn't optimal. I love the idea of working a little bit, giving back to the community, scratching an itch, making a little bit of extra money. It's all upside until I remember the fact that life comes at ya fast.

Edit to add:

Everyone thinks they are smart enough to control the pace until they slip.

[Rock185]

My wife and I both retired from a large department, I later went to work full time in the big city crime lab. Got the bug to get into the sworn side again. Always wanted to live in a smaller town, and became an old rookie in a smaller town. Worked another decade or so full time; fun meter finally pegged working full time. I became a reserve for the next 5 years or so. But, I was one of the department armorers and told the chief he wasn't going to get much work out of me. So I did mostly armory stuff, helped out in uniform at parades, events, etc. Retired again. Thought I was totally out of anything LE related. Then my wife saw an article in the local paper, and said, "I think you could help them with this". So I became an expert witness on some stuff in another small town, etc. She was always finding me jobs

I guess what I'm saying is that there may be all kinds of LE related stuff you might be able to do once you start checking around. Not at all unusual for PD retirees I know to become state and county investigators for various divisions, constables, deputy constables, expert witnesses, two I was acquainted with became judges. My wife pursued some of these opportunities after she retired too. Anyway, these various opportunities worked out well for for us, and might for you..

[john c]

Reserve positions are all but dead around here (California) thanks to POST requirements and stupid "Independent Contractor" (ride share) laws here.

I can tell you in the past that we had officers (and sergeants, and LT's) that came back as reserves after they retired and it was pretty darn awkward for all parties involved.

If you are going to do a unpaid reserve thing I would do it at a different agency than where you originally worked.

Traditional reserve officers (volunteers) are all but dead here, due to those post requirements, but some larger agencies still have large programs. Some Bay Area agencies retain retirees so they can do compensated off duty jobs. This can be a big boost to retirement pay, so much so that they're concerned with young guys quitting but staying on as reserves for the off duty jobs. Others have more of what the OP is mentioning, which is "hire the retiree". I know a few guys that have gone back as retirees to work as detectives for organized retail theft. These are desk jobs, though. No operational work.

Other smaller agencies in the Bay Area pay their reserves at regular office hourly rate. The ones I mentioned above are all paid at high hourly rates. I don't think the OP is thinking about being a "volunteer cop" the same as volunteer firefighter.

I heard that LAPD and LASO have large reserve programs, but they have a lot of level 3 and level 2 reserves to do specialized functions not related to patrol or operational work. These are not paid, as I understand.

[john c]

Haven't done it, wouldn't do it. Once you walk away, stay walked away.

You're not wrong, but that's a retiree perspective. For someone who got out before he had the life squeezed out of him, I can understand that he's still got something to give.

[Trooper224]

You're not wrong, but that's a retiree perspective. For someone who got out before he had the life squeezed out of him, I can understand that he's still got something to give.

You know fuck all about me, or my perspective. Don't assume you do.

[john c]

You know fuck all about me, or my perspective. Don't assume you do.

I realize my wry quip came off the wrong way. I should have put a smiley face behind it. I was trying to make a joke about old heads versus the young whippersnappers. I apologize if I've offended.

I assume by the nature of the OP's post, he's in the whippersnapper category.

[Dennis]

LAPD and LASD are majority Level 1 which means 24h CA peace offer status, are unpaid, and have to attend all the same training as regular officers. That said, they get to basically choose any assignment they want to include any patrol shift at any division, to working gangs, detectives, motors, training, mounted, narcotics, vice, air unit, or really anything else they can qualify and put the time in to do. This is likely a benefit of volunteering at a huge department.

Dennis.



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[Rock185]

I should have added that our local SO did have reserve deputies that were paid. So not all reserve stuff is totally volunteer/unpaid work..