Shaq Reenters Law Enforcement

You may have heard that former NBA basketball player Shaquille O'Neal has worked as a reserve police officer.  Just recently, he reentered law enforcement.  Now he is a reserve police officer for the Doral Police Department in Florida.

A reserve police officer in most police departments are sworn police officers who volunteer their time on a part-time basis.  In most cases, they have the same authority as a full-time police officer, which means they can issue traffic citations and make arrests.  Some departments do limit the powers and duties of reserve officers.  Obviously, they must undergo training; however, it may not be as extensive as their full-time counterparts.

Many police departments big and small have a reserve officer program.  Reserve officers are utilized to supplement patrols, assist with community events requiring a police presence, provide extra manpower for natural disasters and civil unrest situations, and anything else that keep the regular full-time officers on the streets. Most departments require their reserve officers to work a minimum of 16 to 24 hours a month.

Reserve officers consists of men and women who typically work other full-time jobs as doctors, teachers, firefighters, computer professionals, and other professionals.  Reserve officer programs give people who have other full-time jobs the opportunity to be a police officer and serve their community without giving up their full-time job.