Two reserve police officers have been sent to the sidelines
by the state, suspended for patrolling too much without full-time training. Two
towns near Omaha are impacted by the decision.
“We can use them for special events.” Bennington Police
Chief Les Johnson called on reserves to help keep the town safe, even though
the part-time officers have less training. “There hasn't been a single reserve
in our department that's had any type of liability issue because of the job
they've been doing.”
Two reserve officers have been ordered by the state to
shelve their badges and gun belts for working too many hours with too little
training. “I'm concerned that communities are using a person that is not fully
certified where a person should be fully certified in exercising police
powers,” says Nebraska State Training Director Bill Muldoon.
Reserve officer Greg Scheer said he wasn’t a liability when
he served in 2009. “I’ve taken the same test full-time officers take. I've
taken the same firearms training.”
Bennington Mayor Mary Johnson is asking the City Council to
eliminate the reserve officer program. “They can't do everything that a
certified officer can do so why are we paying them the amount we pay a fully
certified officer?”
Chief Johnson says if the reserve program is eliminated,
that not only takes extra eyes off the streets, but leaves him shorthanded for
summer events in town. “Three less people available to patrol the city when we
need them to be here.”
Mayor Johnson, a former Omaha police officer, disagrees.
“There are more certified officers out there, open your eyes, find them.”
A full-time certified officer gets five times more training
and that's why the two reserves who worked hundreds of hours more than they
should have are suspended by the state.
Both reserve officers have appealed their suspensions. One
worked in both Valley and Bennington, the other just in Valley. Valley's police
chief doesn’t expect a drop in service, but he is trying to hire a part-time
officer.