145.10 RESERVE POLICE UNIT.
(a) There is created within the Department of Public Safety a reserve police unit, the members of which shall be appointed by the Director of Public Service and Safety.
(b) Reserve police officers shall serve so long as the Director of Public Service and Safety may direct, or until a resignation submitted by any member shall be accepted by the Director.
(c) Reserve police officer shall be citizens of the United States and shall live within a radius of twenty-five miles of the intersection of Main Street and Whittlesey/Benedict Avenue but need not be electors of the City. Members may not be under the age of twenty-one years. Reserve officers shall meet other requirements as established by the Director of Public Service and Safety.
(d) The Chief of Police shall be the commanding officer of the reserve police unit and shall have control of the assignment, training, stationing and the direction of work of such unit. Reserve police officers will have all police powers upon the successful completion of a course of training as prescribed by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Council. Reserve police officers shall perform only such police duties as assigned by the Chief of Police. Such Reserve members shall obey the chain of command of the Department and shall take orders from all regular appointed members thereof. The Chief of Police shall prescribe the hours of duty of the reserve police officers.
(e) The Director of Public Service and Safety shall prescribe the rules and regulations for the organization, administration, conduct and control of the reserve police unit.
(f) The Chief of Police is authorized to prescribe, by the rules and regulations, the type of uniform which shall be worn by members of the reserve police unit.
(g) For purposes of original appointment to the as regular patrol officers of the Norwalk Police Department any member of the Norwalk Police Reserve Unit who has successfully completed two years continuous service shall be granted an additional twenty percent (20%) credit of his total credit given in the regular examination for appointment in which received a passing grade. Such credit shall be in addition to the Veteran’s Preference granted by Ohio R.C. 124.23.
(h) This section is declared by Council to be an exercise by the City of its police powers for the protection of public peace, health, property, safety and general welfare, and neither the City nor any agent nor representative of the City, an officer appointed under the provisions of this chapter, or any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or the receiver or trustees or any other agent thereof, who is good faith, executes any executive order, rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be liable for injury or damage sustained to person or property as the direct or proximate result of such action.
(Ord. 2022-014. Passed 4-19-22.)