LTC 052-2013 Reserve Police Officer Program - Update m MIAMI BEAC
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 052 -2013 LETTER TO COMMISSION
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TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission -< -,� X
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FROM: Kathie G. Brooks, Interim City Manager
DATE: February 19, 2013 U, --n <
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SUBJECT: Reserve Police Officer Program — Update -� �-' `;D
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The purpose of this Letter to the Commission is to provide an update on the efforts undertaken
by the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) relative to the Reserve Police Officer Program.
As part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the
MBPD Reserve Program is capped at thirty -eight (38) Reserve Police Officers, and requires
Reserve Police Officers to work a minimum of ten (10) hours per month. Currently, the MBPD
Reserve Police Officer Program has twenty -four (24) active members. These Reserve Police
Officers are for the most part assigned to Uniform Patrol, and serve to supplement normal patrol
efforts; however, Reserve Police Officers with specialized skills or experience are also assigned
to the Criminal Investigations Unit or the Property and Evidence Unit.
In July 2012, the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee requested the Administration to
become more proactive with recruitment for additional Reserve Police Officers. Recent efforts to
recruit for Reserve Police Officers have been focused on attracting retired Miami Beach Police
Officers, as well as actively recruiting recent Police Academy graduates with no prior law
enforcement experience. Reserve Police Officers are processed and trained in the same
manner as full -time police officers, including a background check, psychological and medical
examinations. Upon acceptance into the Reserve Police Officer Program, these officers will be
required to complete the five -week orientation program, as well as the three -month Field
Training Officer (FTO) program, as is required of all new Miami Beach Police Officers.
MBPD will continue to recruit Reserve Police Officers until all thirty -eight (38) Reserve Police
Officer positions are filled. In the future, the MBPD hopes to use the City's active recruitment
list for Certified Police Officers as an additional mechanism for recruitment, by reaching out to
applicants to ascertain their interest in applying for the Reserve Police Officer Program.
In addition, as part of the collective bargaining process, the MBPD would like to pursue an
increase in the total number of Reserve Police Officers in the program, as well as, to allow
Reserve Police Officers to be assigned to augment patrol resources, which may assist with
reducing operational costs for the Department.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
RAM /MNO /DM
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