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Cloverdale implements reserve police program
CLOVERDALE -- Residents of Cloverdale have seen an increase in police patrol in the area, thanks to a reserve program implemented by the police department in the summer of 2008.
With money always being in short supply, small towns like Cloverdale must make the best use of their resources.
Terry Puffer, who acts as the liaison on behalf of the department, calls the program "very beneficial from a cost standpoint."
He says the reserve officers are volunteers with a minimum of 40 hours of pre-basic training. Anthony Gregory, a sergeant with the Marion County Sheriff's Department, is among other professional police officers from surrounding departments who donate their time and talents to training for reserves.
"Our goal was to create a reserve program with the best training around and everything has fallen into place," Puffer said.
These 13 volunteer officers help with the more than 2,300 calls the police department receives each year, making routine traffic stops, drunk driving enforcement and a preliminary assessment of a crime scene.
With on-the-job training, reserves are given an opportunity to apply for open positions at the department.
Puffer says the program has cut down the amount of turnover as well.
The police department currently employs two full-time officers and Town Marshall Donald Pearson.
In 1986, Pearson began his law enforcement career as a reserve officer. He worked as an officer at DePauw University, Brooklyn and Greencastle. He was also county coroner.
In addition to their main responsibilities, reserve officers will donate their time during special events to help provide an increased police presents.