Austin City Code § 2-17-1 POLICE RESERVE FORCE.
§ 2-17-1 - POLICE RESERVE FORCE.
(A) A police reserve force is established.
(B) The qualifications and standards of training required of the members of the police reserve force shall be consistent with those promulgated by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement for reserve law enforcement officers. All reserve police officers shall be honorably retired, if applicable, and shall hold a permanent peace officer license issued under Chapter 1701, Texas Occupations Code. All reserve police officers shall complete the training required by the police chief and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
(C) The police reserve force may not exceed 75 members.
(D) The police chief shall appoint members of the police reserve force. Members of the police reserve force serve at the police chief's discretion and shall be temporary employees during the periods that they are called into service. Prior to appointing any member of the police reserve force, the police chief shall ensure that the proposed member:
(1) did not separate from a previous law enforcement agency while under investigation for misconduct; and
(2) has not been suspended without pay, demoted, indefinitely suspended or otherwise terminated by a law enforcement agency for improper use of force, unlawful discrimination, or dishonesty.
(E) The police chief may call any or all members of the police reserve force into service at any time the chief considers it necessary to have additional officers to preserve the peace and enforce the law.
(F) Members of the police reserve force shall serve as peace officers during the actual discharge of their duties.
(G) An appointment to the police reserve force must be approved by the city council before the person appointed may carry a weapon or otherwise act as a peace officer. After the appointment is approved, the person appointed may act as a peace officer, including carrying a weapon in their capacity as a peace officer, only when authorized by the chief of police and only when discharging official duties as a peace officer.
(H) Reserve police officers may act only in a supplementary capacity to the regular police force and may not assume the full-time duties of regular police officers without complying with the requirements for regular police officers.
(I) A reserve police officer is not a member of the classified service of the police department under Chapter 143, Texas Local Government Code.
Source: Ord. No. 20230720-190, Pt. 1, 7-31-23.