HomeMy WebLinkAbout20110718 - New Reserve Welcome Council cover memo 7-11-11.pdf
City Council Memorandum To: Mayor Hicks & City Councilmembers From: Paul P. Schnell, Chief of Police Date: July 11, 2011 Item: Introduction of new Hastings Police Department Reserve
Officers Council Action Requested: Recognition and welcome of new volunteer HPD Reserve Officers. Background Information: Through a recruitment effort earlier this year, HPD recently
expanded its Reserve Unit from a cadre of 18 to 22. As these six new Reserve Officers begin their service to the City we want to take this opportunity to publically welcome them and
acknowledge their willingness to take on this volunteer opportunity and serve their fellow Hastings residents. The new HPD Reserve Officers are: Reserve Officer Dana Gerlach Reserve
Officer Ben Johnson Reserve Officer Katelynn Johnson Reserve Officer Jordan Klug Reserve Officer Josh Norwig Reserve Officer Bruce Tessness The City of Hastings and its police department
are fortunate to have a highly committed Police Reserve Unit. Reserve Officers play an important role in enhancing the safety and livability of the City. Reserve Officers are authorized
by Minnesota law as individuals whose services are utilized by a law enforcement agency to provide supplementary assistance to licensed peace officers, such as traffic or crowd control,
and other administrative assistance as may be determined by the agency. Hastings Reserve Officers are volunteers, who subject themselves to a background investigation, many hours of
training, and often provide their services in the middle of the night and in every imaginable kind of weather condition. Hastings Reserve Officers provide about 5,000 hours of service
to the community each year. By the time of the Council meeting, our Reserve Unit will have provided hundreds of hours of volunteer service over the three day Rivertown Days festival.
In one recent 5 day period, Reserve Officers provided 11 out of City transports to child placement facilities, Mental Health crisis units, or Detox facilities. We estimate that these
transports totaled nearly nearly 30 hours. Keeping licensed officers in the City while Reserve Officers transport provides a very real community benefit.
Financial Impact: As budgeted. Advisory Commission Discussion: None Council Committee Discussion: None Attachments: • None