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So you want to be a reserve deputy sheriff (unpaid volunteer) and assist regular deputies with their work? Great! Sheriff Todd Entrekin and Commander Mike Osborne would welcome your application.
You can do so if you have lots and lots of “intestinal fortitude,” according to Janet Mitchell, spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Academy which provides the state-mandated training for reserve deputies to become certified.
Reserve deputies receive no financial compensation for their service and volunteer hundreds of hours of time per month to the Sheriff's Office. Reserve deputies are required to receive continuous training throughout the year, as well as qualify annually with their service weapon.
“Receiving no pay for the job they do, and spending time away from their families shows tremendous dedication on the part of the reserves,” says Sheriff Entrekin.
To be accepted in the certified program, an applicant must be recommended by his local sheriff and pass a lengthy entrance exam which includes a strenuous physical fitness test which includes a certain number of sit-ups and push-ups in a specified time and be able to complete a 1-1/2 mile run in less than 15 minutes and 28 seconds.
Upon entrance to the academy’s classroom, the candidate must complete 480 hours of college-level courses in all aspects of law as it applies to law enforcement. The academy's curriculum covers all of Alabama Peace Officer Standards and Training (APOST) requirements. Recruits must pass all APOST certification tests in order to graduate. Classes are taught by highly qualified instructors, and most instructors are veteran officers with expertise in a particular discipline.
Major subject areas include:
- Criminal Justice
- Basic Law
- Human Rights and Victim's Rights
- Community Policing
- Patrol Procedures
- Traffic Control
- Investigative Procedures
- Communication
- The patrol procedures subject area includes an emphasis on law enforcement driving, arrest control, explosives ordnance destruction (EOD), SWAT tactics and critical incidents.
A certified Reserve Deputy said the year-long training was an eye-opening experience for him and his classmates. “We gained a clear understanding of the law and how it is applied in different matters. The experience was rewarding and will help us to make Etowah County a better place.”
For reserve deputies, the classes are held every other Saturday and Sunday at the JCSA classroom in Fultondale, north of Birmingham.
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