Reservists work when they choose to, but they are required to serve aminimum number of hours each month and to attend in-service training. They usually do not receive pay. The level of reserve activity varies widely from city to city and county to county. No nationwide statistics are available, but the Center for Reserve Law Enforcement estimates that reserve law officers volunteer an average of 16 hours a month. In some counties where reserves are especially active, it is not unusual to have a majority of sheriff s patrol units operated by two-person reserve teams on some nights.
Reservists represent a pool of trained law enforcement personnel for use in emergency situations.
At these times, they serve much the same function that the National Guard and military Reserve units serve during times of war, other emergencies and natural disasters. Some police and sheriff s departments try to hire regular replacements from the reserve forces because they already know the officer s ability - and also because the officer already has much of the expensive training required. The most important contribution made by reserve law enforcement is to encourage citizens to take more responsibility for their own safety and that of their families and neighborhoods and rely less on government to look out for their interests.