SEAL BEACH : Reservists to Relieve Officers’ Workload

The City Council recently approved the hiring of five new police reservists who will serve as support for the city’s 31 sworn police officers. The department is also in the process of hiring two officers.

City officials hope to select, test and train the five reservists over the next few months. They should be ready for duty by April, said City Manager Jerry L. Bankston.

The reservists will perform some of the more time-consuming duties such as crowd control and writing accident reports, now done by officers . The new reservists will allow sworn officers to return to their patrols faster, Bankston said.

The reserve officers will wear special uniforms. Though they receive no salary, the city will pay them a small stipend to cover equipment and uniform expenses. The program is expected to cost the city about $7,000 a year.

Bankston said the city hopes to recruit reservists with experience in security and law enforcement.

“Typically, reserve units will consist of retired police officers, younger people with other careers and (security) professionals with a real interest in law enforcement,” he said.

The five reservists will join two others who already are helping in the department’s computers and communications systems.

The city also is selecting an architectural firm to draw rough plans and calculate a cost estimate for a proposed police substation at the Seal Beach Pier.

Some residents have championed the project, saying the substation would add a police presence to the Old Town area. The city’s main police station is more than a mile from Old Town on Seal Beach Boulevard.