Police chief seeks modest pay for mandated reserve officer work

Chief Logan told the finance committee on Jan. 22 that the police department is seeking council approval to compensate a mandated reserve officer for additional assignments when the officer has already met the volunteer minimum hours.

According to Chief Logan, the reserve program requires a minimum of 20 volunteer hours per officer per month. The department has asked the reserve officer to work large events (for example, July 4) and to perform transports to county jails when regular officers are needed on the street. Those extra assignments, Chief Logan said, have historically been unpaid volunteer time.

The proposal would allow the reserve officer to continue volunteering up to the 20-hour monthly minimum but be paid for additional hours when the department needs him as an extra patrol car. Chief Logan estimated the annual cost at about $4,500 and said the department would fund it from the existing overtime budget because the city would otherwise pay overtime to a regular officer for those duties.

The finance committee did not vote on the request; Chief Logan said she will bring the item to the council meeting on Tuesday for formal consideration.