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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980 04-30 Police reserves to give up guns on May 1 THE REVIEW Police reserves to give u pk fie,/9g0 guns on May 1 By MARY LEE HAGERT "Many of the reserves have already indicated to me they will resign if their Since 1958 the Maplewood police guns are taken away. I plan to re- department has relied on a grow of interview and discuss this with them.If volunteer reserve officers to assist during they still choose to resign,we will start the busiest periods. rebuilding and redesigning the program." The reserve force of 20 volunteers have The reserve officers are under the some police training, wear uniforms supervision of the Maplewood emergency similar to regular patrolmen and carry preparedness department. They also 38-caliber sidearms. police the Ramsey County Fair and at It is the latter that recently has become other civic functions. a concern of the Maplewood police Diane Corcoran of Maplewood, a department. sergeant in the reserves and a St.Paul As part of their regular police training junior high school teacher, told the program,three or four reserve officers council members that she is concerned accompany patrolmen in squad cars on about her safety and that of her fellow weekend evenings. reserve officers if they have to give up Frequently the reserves are asked to their guns. back up a patrolman during in- "What about our(the reserves)lives. vestigations of domestic disputes,break- We are willing to give up our lives every ins, burglaries and other skirmishes. time we get in that squad car,If we got There have been times in the past when hurt, that would lay heavily on the reserve officers have needed to draw everyone." their guns. Councilman Gary Bastian asked Richard Schaller, director of Corcoran if she felt qualified to use her Maplewood public safety department, firearm. says that he and other members of the "I feel qualified but I feel there could be police department are concerned that the more training,"she responded.She said reserve officers are a bit rusty on their most of the reserve policemen would like marksmanship skills. During an eight- to have more training. month period,he explains,only nine of the In the past the full-time police officers 20 reserve officers fired their weapons have said they are concerned that their during one practice at the police shooting job status might be jeopardized if the range. reserve officers are elevated to the part- Schaller also says he is worried that if a time status. reserve officer shot someone, the Responding to this concern, Mayor volunteer would be of direct civil and John Greavu said, "I don't know what criminal liability.He added that in ad- your guys(patrolmen)are scared of. I dition to himself, the reserve officer's don't know why you guys are worried supervisor,emergency preparedness about losing your jobs."Greavu favors director Clifford Mottaz, the city changing the reserve unit to part-time, manager,city council members,and the non-paid officers. mayor would all be vicariously liable. "I think we need these people," he Because of his concern, Schaller has continued."So what if we spend$16,000 or asked all the volunteer reserve officers to $20,000 for some training for them.That's turn their guns into him by May 1. a lot better than spending$100,000 for Further complicating this issue is a new regular officers'overtime. state law that says reserve officers in "I think we(the city)are going to have large cities can not be allowed to carry a financial crunch someday and I think guns. keeping these people on as unpaid part- To retain their guns under the new law, timers is one way of looking ahead." the volunteer reserve officers have to be Ed O'Mara, chairman of the elevated to a part-time status on the Maplewood Civil Service Commission, regular police force. To achieve this pointed out that if the council decides it status, they would have to receive the needs part-time officers,he did not think same training, and psychological and there was a way the reserve officers could physical tests required of the full-time be"grandfathered in." officers.They also would have to shoot "We have to go through a hiring their gum regularly at the police range. procedure." O'Mara explained the Due to the anticipated high cost of this commission would draw up a job additional training and testing,Schaller description, decide what qualifications has suggested the reserves not be the part-time officers needed,administer promoted to part-time officers. tests and then submit a list of the top The Maplewood city council discussed candidates for the jobs.The reserve of- the issue of the Maplewood police reserve ficers might not qualify,O'Mara stated. officers at its meeting April 24. On Councilman Earl Nelson's Councilwoman Fran Juker asked suggestion,the council members decided Schaller if Maplewood has a"real need to let police chief Schaller's decision for part-time officers?" stand on having the reserve officers give "We have a real need for an active up their guns on May 1. reserve program," Schaller responded. The city staff was directed to study the He praised the reserves for the work they community's need for part-time police have done in the past and said he hoped officers and explore what would be in- they would continue to serve the city on a volved in hiring and maintaining such a volunteer basis without guns. group.