(A) Police Reserve established as separate and distinct from Police Department. An Auxiliary Police Force, to be known as the Canton Police Reserve is hereby established, such force to be separate and distinct from the regular force of the Police Department of the City of Canton.
(B) Composition of Police Reserve. The Police Reserve Force shall be composed of personnel who have volunteered to join the organization and whose applications for membership have been accepted and who have complied with all the rules, regulations and orders provided for the conduct and control of the members thereof. It shall be composed of not more than 25 members.
(C) Diminishing or expanding membership. The Chief of Police may, by order, diminish or expand the membership of the Police Reserve Force as exigency may require within the limit established by division (B) above.
(D) Supervision and control. The Police Reserve Force shall be under the direct control and supervision of the Chief of Police, and the members thereof shall be under the authority, control and command of the Chief of Police, subject to all of the provisions of this article and other ordinances of the City of Canton.
(E) Duties.
(1) The duties of the Police Reserve Force, subject at all times to direction, supervision and control of the Chief of Police, shall be to assist the regular members of the Police Department in the enforcement of the law and in the maintenance of peace and order during periods of emergency designated by the Chief of Police.
(2) The Chief may, by order, establish rules and regulations to govern the Police Reserve Force, to fix the specific duties of its members, and to provide for the maintenance of discipline.
(3) He or she may change the orders from time to time, and he may command members of the Police Reserve Force to obey the instructions of regular police officers in carrying out their duties.
(4) The Chief of Police may prescribe other duties than those mentioned herein, to be performed by the Police Reserve Force, not inconsistent with the provisions of this article.
(F) Application for membership. Application for membership in the Police Reserve Force shall be filed with the Police Department. The applications shall be on a form prescribed by the Chief of Police.
(G) Applicant's qualifications and references. Each applicant for a position in the Police Reserve Force must meet the following basic qualifications:
(1) At least 21 years of age;
(2) United States citizen;
(3) Of good moral character;
(4) Never convicted of a felony;
(5) Freedom from communicable diseases;
(6) Free of physical defects or ailments which would prevent him or her from performing the duties of the position for which he or she seeks appointment;
(7) Meet the minimum physical, mental, educational, moral and training standards established by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education.
(H) Appointment. Members of the Police Reserve Force shall be appointed from a list of eligibles compiled by the Chief of Police and accompanied by a complete set of fingerprints, which fingerprints shall be checked by the identification bureau to ascertain any criminal record. Selections shall be made through examination, and appointments shall be made by the Chief of Police. All examinations shall be impartial, practical in their character, and shall relate to those matters which fairly test the relative capacity of the persons examined to discharge the duties of the position to which they expect to be appointed.
(I) Oath. Every member of the Police Reserve Force shall, before entering upon his or her duties, subscribe to an oath that he or she will observe and obey the Constitution and laws of the United States Constitution and laws of the State of Texas, and the ordinances of the City of Canton, and that he or she will carry out the duties of a member of the Police Reserve Force to the best of his or her ability.
(J) Uniforms and badges. The Chief of Police shall prescribe the uniforms and badges for the members of the Police Reserve Force and direct the manner in which the same shall be worn.
(K) Entry upon private property. No member of the Police Reserve Force shall break into, or otherwise forcefully enter upon, any private property, or enter the dwelling or habitation of another person without the consent of the owner or occupant except when immediately accompanied by a regular member of the Police Department who then and there requests his or her aid in the enforcement of the law.
(L) Power of arrest. A member of the Police Reserve Force shall have the following powers of arrest, and none other:
(1) Only while on active duty;
(2) When an offense is committed in his or her presence or within his or her view if the offense is one classed as a felony or as an offense against the public peace;
(3) When he or she knows as a fact that the person has committed a felony even though it was not committed in his or her presence;
(4) When a felony has in fact been committed and he or she has reasonable cause to believe the person arrested has committed it;
(5) When authorized by a warrant of arrest and the warrant is in the actual possession of the member making the arrest;
(6) When lending physical aid to any regular member of the Police Department in making any lawful arrest if authorized by the Chief of Police or requested by any regular member of the Police Department.
(M) Identification card. An identification card and such other insignia or evidence of identity as the Chief of Police may prescribe shall be issued to each member of the Police Reserve Force. The identification card and other identification shall be carried at all times while the reservist is on duty, and must be surrendered upon the termination of membership in the Police Reserve.
(N) Removal or resignation. The membership of any person in the Police Reserve Force may be terminated by the Chief of Police at any time for any cause deemed sufficient by the Chief of Police. In addition to the penalties provided by law, any violation of law under color of the performance of his or her duties as a member of the Police Reserve Force and any breach of the rules and regulations established by the Chief of Police shall subject any member to summary expulsion.
Any member may resign from the Police Reserve Force at any time, but it shall be the duty of the member to notify the Chief of Police of his or her resignation.
(O) Impersonation. Any person who shall wear, carry or display a Police Reserve Force identification card, uniform or badge, or otherwise represent himself or herself to be connected with the Police Reserve Force, unless he or she is in fact a member thereof in good standing, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed $100.
(P) Compensation. Members of the Police Reserve Force shall receive regular patrolmen’s pay when ordered to active duty by the Chief of Police or during periods of emergency. There shall be no remuneration for their tour of training nor for service voluntarily performed.
(Ord. 95-04, passed 6-20-1995)