Spring Break
Volunteers help out Denton police force
Addley Fannin
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE
Far from being a modern invention, the idea of volunteer police officers has a long history that goes back to the days of the Old West.
"If you go back and look at it historically, the small towns out here would have one or two paid officers and several reserve officers," Denton resident Charles Kull said. "They were there when you need them, but not on the payroll. Today, the tradition is basically the same."
Kull is the captain of the Denton City Police Reserves, a nine-man squad of licensed volunteers who give their free time to assist the paid officers in their day-to-day activities.
"Reserve police officers carry guns and wear uniforms just like we do," said Officer Jim Bryan of the Denton Police Department. "These are people who are interested in law enforcement, but they have other jobs. They could have been a police officer in the past, but they're not doing it full-time anymore. They have the same kind of background that real police officers do."
Reserve police officers fulfill many of the same duties as full paid officers, taking responsibilities such as crowd control at special events and answering disturbance of the peace calls.
"We are all sworn police officers, we all have at least a basic peace officer license," Kull said. "We're police officers in all but paycheck only. That's the basic difference."
Unlike full-time officers, all reserve members also hold full-time jobs, which are generally their primary form of employment.
With day jobs that range from airplane mechanics to couriers to fraud investigators for cell phone companies, the squad comes from a variety of backgrounds and has a number of reasons to volunteer.
"Everybody's reason is different, but they're a variation on a theme," Kull said. "Back when I started doing this, which was in 1978, police officers didn't make very much. By the time I wanted to be a policeman, I was earning more money at my day job. We have at least two reserves who were regular officers who retired but still come back because they love doing it."
"If you go back and look at it historically, the small towns out here would have one or two paid officers and several reserve officers," Denton resident Charles Kull said. "They were there when you need them, but not on the payroll. Today, the tradition is basically the same."
Kull is the captain of the Denton City Police Reserves, a nine-man squad of licensed volunteers who give their free time to assist the paid officers in their day-to-day activities.
"Reserve police officers carry guns and wear uniforms just like we do," said Officer Jim Bryan of the Denton Police Department. "These are people who are interested in law enforcement, but they have other jobs. They could have been a police officer in the past, but they're not doing it full-time anymore. They have the same kind of background that real police officers do."
Reserve police officers fulfill many of the same duties as full paid officers, taking responsibilities such as crowd control at special events and answering disturbance of the peace calls.
"We are all sworn police officers, we all have at least a basic peace officer license," Kull said. "We're police officers in all but paycheck only. That's the basic difference."
Unlike full-time officers, all reserve members also hold full-time jobs, which are generally their primary form of employment.
With day jobs that range from airplane mechanics to couriers to fraud investigators for cell phone companies, the squad comes from a variety of backgrounds and has a number of reasons to volunteer.
"Everybody's reason is different, but they're a variation on a theme," Kull said. "Back when I started doing this, which was in 1978, police officers didn't make very much. By the time I wanted to be a policeman, I was earning more money at my day job. We have at least two reserves who were regular officers who retired but still come back because they love doing it."
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