Reserve police officers

The Reserve Police Officer program is for adults 21+ who aspire to be Police Officers or want to serve on the front line. Reserves are comprised of community members who volunteer their time to fulfill many of the roles handled by full-time, sworn police officers. 

CONTACT A RECRUITER

what is the reserve police officer program?

The Reserve program is a volunteer program for people who want to become Police Officers or serve on the front line. 

Reserve Officers are considered fully commissioned Police Officers and have the option to work full-time or part-time. While we realize that there are no “perfect” candidates, we are seeking individuals from all segments of our community who have shown a high degree of honesty, integrity and a desire to work hard in attaining their potential.

Requirements

  • Must be 21 years old
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Must successfully pass an oral board, background investigation, psychological testing, polygraph, and medical screening
  • Must successfully pass the PAT

Automatic disqualifiers

In order to maintain high standards in the City of Spokane law enforcement community, the City of Spokane Police Department established illegal drug use guidelines to evaluate an applicant’s suitability for employment.

The following examples of illegal drug use or possession will be considered automatic disqualifiers for public safety applicants, with no exceptions:

  • Failure to divulge to this department any information about personal illegal use or possession of drugs or level of alcohol consumption. Inconsistent information will be viewed as deception.
  • Any drug test of the applicant, during the course of the hiring process, where illegal drugs are detected.
  • Any illegal adult (over 18) use or possession of an illegal drug after having been employed in any law enforcement capacity including corrections and military police, or after making an application to a law enforcement agency.
  •  

The following constitute The Spokane Police Department’s Drug Standards. You must meet these standards to be considered for employment.

  • No use or possession of a drug classified as a hallucinogenic within seven years prior to application for employment. Lifetime usage cannot exceed three times.
  • No adult use or possession of marijuana within one year prior to application for employment.
  • No other illegal use or possession of a drug not mentioned above (including cocaine) within three years prior to application for employment.
  • No adult manufacture or cultivation of a drug or illegal substance.

The following examples of illegal drug use or possession will be considered in relationship to the overall background of that individual and may result in disqualification:

  • Any illegal adult use or possession of a drug that does not meet the criteria of the automatic disqualifiers specified above (e.g., marijuana use longer than one year ago or cocaine use longer than three years ago).
  • Any illegal or unauthorized use of prescription medications. An applicant may also be rejected for the illegal use/misuse of legally prescribed drugs or medications.

An applicant may also be rejected if the applicant’s excessive alcoholic beverage consumption is shown to impair his/her ability to perform in a satisfactory manner.

duties and responsibilities

Level I Reserve Officers

  • A Reserve Officer is fully commissioned while on duty
  • Attend monthly training to maintain qualifications and certifications

 

Level II Reserve Officers

  •  Ability to respond to calls as an independent officer

how to apply

Please note – there are currently no Reserve Academies scheduled for 2026. However, we are still accepting and screening Reserve Officer applications. By applying now, you can complete the necessary background and screening steps to ensure you are fully vetted and ready to deploy as soon as a future academy date is established. 

  1. Apply
    Download the application below, fill it out electronically, and email it to volunteer@spokanepolice.org. After you submit your application, a background investigation will be completed. Background processing includes but is not limited to criminal and traffic checks, credit checks, personal and employer checks as well as various administrative checks.
  2. Pass the Physical Agility Test (PAT)
    The PAT includes pushups (minimum 21), sit-ups (60 seconds, minimum 30), 300-meter sprint (71 seconds or less), 1.5-mile run (14:31 or less), and squat thrusts (3 minutes, minimum 35). 
  3. Complete and pass the oral board, polygraph, psychological testing, medical screening and a review by the Chief of Police. 
  4. Attend the 372-hour Reserve Law Enforcement Academy.
    The Academy is offered once a year and includes Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening classes (6 – 10 p.m.) and Saturday classes (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), culminating in a certification examination administered by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission prior to graduation.
 
Schedule Info Training session
Download Application
Send completed application