In 25 years, McEvoy said, no officer has left the job except to retire and only one officer was fired. The reserves also provide the city with about 11,000 hours of essentially free police protection annually because all of the reserves are volunteers. Many also go on to fill seasonal positions in communities across northern Michigan, where many departments increase staff in the summer. Many of the paid seasonal officers he has hired each summer and the volunteers he takes on for Charlevoix's own reserve program come from Traverse City. During the summer, we have a lot more demands on our time.
Competition is fierce for the paid summer positions.
He said he gets 50 to 75 applications for two spots each summer. He said reserves from Traverse City have an advantage, however. Those people move right to the head of the line because I know that they've had some exposure to the job. The Traverse City Record-Eagle. All rights reserved.