Reserve Officers

The police department's Police Reserve Program is comprised of officers who serve the City of Coburg in a volunteer capacity to help ensure in making the City of Coburg a safer and better community.  Reserve officers are sworn certified police officers with full arrest powers that primarily supplement the Patrol Division, performing those duties regularly carried out by the Division.  Reserve officers may also assist the Municipal Court by serving as bailiffs, assist the Records Division by performing clerical duties for the department, and may additionally perform any specialized assignment at the direction of the Chief of Police.
 
Reserve officers function under the same authority of the Chief of Police.  While working as a reserve officer, they are under the direct supervision of the on-duty shift supervisor or reserve sergeant.  Reserve officers are bound by the same policies and procedures as a full-time Police Officer. Reserve officers are volunteer personnel and can be dismissed at will.

Many of our reserve officers are retired or former police officers having served many years with other departments or retired from service in Oregon or other states and desire to continue serving in a reserve capacity. Some of our reserve officers have specialized skills in areas of criminal investigation, fire investigation, crime prevention, corrections, law enforcement instruction and many other skill areas.

What Does it Take to be Hired as a Police Reserve?

Reserve officers must meet the same basic appointment requirements as that of regular full-time officers and go through the same selection process. 

All candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must be 21 years or older
• Must possess or be able to obtain a valid driver license by time of hire
• Must be able to meet all basic Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Police Officer standards
• Must pass the agency certified entry level written exam (70% or better)
• Must pass the agency physical agility test
• Must be able to read and write the English language
• Must at minimum possess a high school diploma or GED

Disqualifications:

• A felony conviction under State or Federal law
• A conviction of any misdemeanor under Oregon law within three years prior to application or convictions for two or more misdemeanors under Oregon law as an adult
• A conviction of domestic violence
• A conviction of crime involving controlled substances
• Any adult use of marijuana within one year of application
• You have a dishonorable, bad conduct, or other than honorable discharge from the armed services
• Three or more moving violations or a single instance of a major traffic offense within three years of application
• Being an official of the City of Coburg, being appointed or elected.

Standards for our applicants are high and as such, we have adopted the following for the Coburg Police Department:

Vehicle Operation

• Ability to possess a valid drivers license
• Ability to drive safely
• Ability to control a motor vehicle at high speeds
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle in all types of weather conditions

Integrity

• Refusing to yield to the temptation of bribes, gratuities, payoffs, etc.
• Refusing to tolerate unethical or illegal conduct on the part of other law enforcement personnel
• Showing strong morale character and integrity in dealing with the public
• Being honest in dealing with the public

Credibility as a Witness in a Court of Law

• The ability to give testimony in a court of law without being subject to impeachment due to his/her honesty or veracity (or their opposites) or due to prior felony conviction

Dependability

• Having a record or submitting reports on time and not malingering on calls, etc.
• A record of being motivated to perform well
• A record of dependability and follow through on assignments
• A history of taking the extra effort required for complete accuracy in all details of work
• Willingness to work the hours needed to complete the job

Learning Ability

• The ability to comprehend and retain information
• The ability to recall information pertaining to laws, statutes, codes, etc.
• The ability to learn and to apply what is learned
• The ability to learn and apply the material, tactics and procedures that are required of the law enforcement officer

Personal Sensitivity

• The ability to resolve problems in a way that shows sensitivity of the feelings of others
• Empathy
• Discretion, not enforcing the law blindly
• Effectiveness in dealing with people without arousing antagonism
• The ability to understand the motives of people and how they will react and interact

Judgment Under Pressure

• The ability to apply common sense during pressure situations
• The ability to make sound decisions on the spot
• The ability to use good judgment in dealing with potentially explosive situations
• The ability to make effective, logical decisions under pressure

Hiring / Testing Process

Those interested in becoming a reserve officer must complete a City of Coburg application for employment and submit this to our agency. Applications are accepted year round; however, depending on reserve officer staffing levels and authorized openings - new reserve officers may only be hired during recruitment periods. 

From this, the reserve officer applicant is invited to take our agency physical assessment tests. If successful in passing the physical assessments, reserve applicants will be invited to take our agency written examination.

After the physical assessment and written exams have been passed, reserve applicants will be invited to participate in an oral panel interview. After the oral panel interview, those reserve applicants selected will be afforded the opportunity to take an in-person psychological evaluation and or written exam(s) and a medical evaluation.

The last stages of the hiring process will include a background investigation and a Chief's interview. 

What Will You Expect in Testing?

Physical Assessment Tests

The physical assessment tests are designed to evaluate candidates on essential physical capacities required to satisfactorily perform job duties.  This assessment consists of 3 parts. Failure of any part will result in the disqualification of the candidate. Our assessment will include a timed, age specific physical battery for push-ups, sit-ups and a quarter mile run. A knowledge retention assessment will be included in the quarter mile run. A suspect description will be provided to each candidate prior to the run and the candidate will need to recall the suspect description upon completion of the run. Also included in the assessment will be a dead weight drag.

* Those applicants having completed and passed the DPSST ORPAT within 6 months of application will be exempt from having to take our assessment upon proof of successful completion of the DPSST ORPAT.

Written Examination

The Coburg Police Department has adopted the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST Exam) by Standard and Associates, Inc. as the standard written test for employment. No law enforcement background or knowledge of law enforcement procedures is needed to do well on this test.  The test is designed to determine your level of general knowledge in the following areas:  Math, Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Reading Comprehension, and Writing. The test is timed and divided into four (4) sections and a minimum score of 70% is required in all of the sections to proceed further in the hiring process.

* If you have taken and passed the POST exam with another agency within the last 12 months and provide proof of successful completion, the Chief may accept those scores and waive this requirement. This is only applicable to the POST exam. If you have taken a different written exam with another agency - you will be required to take the POST exam as part of our hiring / testing process.       

Oral Panel Interview

The oral board interview is conducted by a several member panel comprised of Coburg Police Department personnel, City of Coburg personnel and or citizens from the community of Coburg.  In most cases, all applicants invited to participate in the oral panel interview will be asked the same series of questions and at the end allow each candidate to ask their own questions and make any statements to the panel they deem necessary. Typically, candidates can expect the oral panel interview to last 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Psychological Examination and Interview

The psychological evaluation looks at several factors of the applicant, not only to ensure that the applicant is mentally fit for duty, but that he/she displays good logic, reasoning and has a profile that would interact well with others.

Additionally, the psychological test has several parameters that will assess the individual’s response and ability to complete the field training program.

Your particular psychological examination may be facilitated in-person through a contract agency to include written exams or you may be required to take a series of written psychological examinations that are then assessed under contract by an outside organization. Any costs involved in this process will be the responsibility of the Coburg Police Department.  

Medical Evaluation

The medical evaluation looks for general health issues that might compromise the performance of the officer.  The candidate is checked for overall health including, but not limited to: blood pressure, hearing exam, eye sight exam, color blind test, a urine analysis, and range of movement tests.  The standard health requirement and exam follows the DPSST guidelines for police officers. Any costs involved in this process will be the responsibility of the Coburg Police Department.

Background Investigation

The Coburg Police Department is interested in hiring only persons of the highest ethical caliber. The background investigation is one of the many tools we use to ensure this happens. We need to learn about your values, habits and your history to make sure we hire the best qualified individuals.

The duration of the background investigation varies based on circumstances encountered during the process. To ensure a swift and accurate background investigation, your application should be complete.

In addition to your application, you will be required to complete some additional documents required for our department background investigators to fully complete an accurate and detailed background investigation on you.  Being untruthful during any part of your background investigation is grounds for disqualification.

Chief's Interview 
 

One of the final stages id the Chief's Interview. During this interview you will have a one on one interview session with the Chief of Police.

What is the training?

Applicants are required to enroll in a Reserve Academy normally operated by one of the County Sheriffs’ offices.  The cost of the academy training will be covered by the reserve officer, not the agency or City of Coburg. The Academy typically meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturdays over a five-month period and imparts over 300 hours of training following a curriculum that is similar to the regular police academy held in Salem, Oregon. Reserve Officers in the Academy learn aspects of patrol procedures, laws of arrest, traffic enforcement including drunk driving, response to in-progress call officer safety issues, emergency vehicle operations, and other areas of training that are reflective of conditions they will meet in the field.

Following graduation from the Academy, the Reserve Officer is then assigned to work with a senior Reserve Officer or a regular Field Training Officer and goes through a field training process similar to the regular officer utilizing the same training manual. With time and experience, the Reserve Officer takes on more and more responsibilities. At the trainee level, the officer is required to work all assignments with a more senior department member. As the Reserve progressed, the officer may work solo assignments requiring minimal supervision, and on some occasions, they advance to solo patrol status where the officer is allowed to work a patrol shift and respond to calls “on the beat,” in a fashion similar to what regular officers do.

What are the monthly requirements?
Reserve Officers are required to complete a minimum of two patrol shifts or specialized assignment, and one meeting per month for a total of 24 hours minimum per month. Many officers will work more than that.  During the summer months, reserves are requested to work a variety of special events such as the Coburg Antique Fair and Coburg Golden Years.  

Coburg Police Reserve Officers are a respected and important part of our department. Reserve Officers find the position as one where they can give back to their community and support the community they care about. Others will use it as a trial program to see if law enforcement is a career they would like to pursue and will continue using it as a stepping stone to a full-time assignment.

What does it cost?

Reserve Officers are required to provide their name tag, duty belt, ballistic vest and equipment on the belt, including a firearm and holster. The department will provide: 1 uniform trouser, 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 short sleeve shirt, taser/holster, ammunition. The weapon of choice for new members coming into the department is a Glock handgun chambered for .45 caliber.  The duty weapon is the financial responsibility of the Reserve Officer.

How do I apply?

If there is an open recruitment for the Reserve division you can:

• Obtain an application from the agency at 91069 N. Willamette St., Coburg OR 97408

Download an application and hand delivered or mail to the above address.
For more information or if you have questions about the reserve program, please contact us at (541) 682-7853.