Reserve Officers

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     The Police Reserve division of the Baxter Springs Police Department are volunteer police officers. The commander of the reserves is Reserve Officer Lt. Stan Shafer. Lt. Stan Shafer oversees the operation of the reserve program and reports back to the command staff of the Baxter Springs Police department. These officers strictly volunteer their time and they operate solely on donations. The reserves have all been trained in use of force and have been though a firearms course before working as a reserve officer.

     The reserves are generally with a certified officer. But the reserves work as a unit while providing traffic control, security at school functions, and when needed with special events. They play a big part of the day to day operations of the police department to provide extra man power at no cost to the city. The reserve division ranges in size from year to year but has a maximum membership of twenty officers. We also use the reserve program as a hiring pool for new fulltime officers. This cuts down on the field training time that a new officer has to have because of the experience gained in the reserve program. Currently our department has several fulltime certified officers that came from the reserve program including the Chief and Assistant Chief of the department.

     To join the Police Reserve you must obtain an application from the police department and return it completed to the dispatcher. You will then be interviewed by reserve officers and approved or denied by a group vote from them. If approved by the reserves the Chief of Police will check your background history (includes criminal history and employment with past employers). The Chief will decide to approve or deny the applicant. If approved by the Chief he will forward the applicant to the Mayor for their approval and possible appointment. These officers are held to the same standards as the rest of the Police Departments employees.