The police department of the city is created and established.
(Prior code § 5-101; Ord. 580, 1982; Ord. 673 § 5, 1996)
A.
The police department shall exercise its discretion to protect life and property, suppress crime, prevent criminality, apprehend offenders and recover persons or property.
B.
The police department shall also exercise its discretion to respond to all requests for emergency assistance and to provide assistance to other city departments in the proper and effective response to any emergencies.
(Prior code § 5-102; Ord. 580, 1982; Ord. 673 § 5, 1996; Ord. 676 § 5, 1997)
A.
The police department shall, pursuant to Section 13522, Chapter 1, of Title 4, Part 4, of the California Penal Code, while receiving aid from the state pursuant to the chapter, adhere to the standards for recruitment and training established by the California Commission of Peace Officer Standards and Training.
B.
The police department shall, pursuant to Section 13510(c), Chapter 1, of Title 4, Part 4, of the California Penal Code, adhere to the standards of recruitment and training established by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) for public safety dispatchers.
C.
The police department shall adhere to the requirements of Section 13512, Chapter 1, of Title 4, Part 4, of the California Penal Code, that the Commission and its representatives may make such inquiries as deemed appropriate by the Commission to ascertain that the city public dispatcher personnel adhere to standards for selection and training established by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
(Ord. 673 § 5, 1996)
Pursuant to California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 217, and from time to time amended, any bicycles or toys, or both, in the possession of the Crescent City police department which have been unclaimed for a period of at least sixty days, may be turned over to the probation officer or welfare department of the county, or to any charitable or nonprofit organization which participates in a program or activity designed to prevent juvenile delinquency and which is exempt from income taxation under federal or state law, or both, for use in any program or activity designed to prevent juvenile delinquency.
(Ord. 681 § 5, 1999)
A.
Authority and Title. Under the authority granted in Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution and the California Penal Code, Section 832.6, the city of Crescent City, by and through its city council, does enact this section of its municipal code, which shall be known as the "Reserve Police Officer Program."
B.
Findings and Purpose.
1.
The city of Crescent City utilizes various proactive policing methods to reduce crime, which have been impactful on the crime rates and safety of those present within the city of Crescent City.
2.
It is recognized that the city of Crescent City's ability to maintain a consistent use of proactive policing methods is conditional on the police department's ability to maintain full staffing, which can be adversely impacted by sworn officers' use of sick leave, family medical leave, vacation, training, and injuries.
3.
The city of Crescent City would greatly benefit from a police reserve officer program to assist in supplementing police presence in the community to address crime and quality of life issues, as well as during times of staff vacancies.
4.
California Penal Code Section 832.6(a) sets forth three classifications of reserve officers varying from level I reserve police officer, which carries full police authority, to level III reserve police officer, which allows for the performance of limited duties not requiring general law enforcement powers in their routine work.
5.
California Penal Code Section 830.6(a)(2) provides that a city reserve police officer designated by local ordinance, either individually or by class, that is assigned to the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the laws of this state and meeting the level I reserve police officer designation (Penal Code § 832.6(a)(1)), is a peace officer.
C. "Chief of police" "Commission" "Comparable experience" "Designation" "Level I reserve police officer" "Level II reserve police officer" "Level III reserve police officer"
Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions apply:
means the chief of police of the city of Crescent City.
means the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
means the equivalent experience of two years of field experience as a reserve peace officer with the Crescent City police department ("CCPD") comprising a minimum of four hundred hours.
means a letter signed and dated by the chief of police designating a level I reserve police officer pursuant to Penal Code Section 830.6(a)(2).
refers to a trained reserve officer as described in Penal Code Section 832.6(a)(1), and who is assigned specific police functions whether or not working alone or to the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the laws of this state whether or not working alone.
refers to a trained reserve officer as described in Penal Code Section 832.6(a)(2), who works under the immediate supervision of a peace officer who has completed the basic training course for deputy sheriffs and police officers prescribed by the Commission and is assigned to the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the laws of this state.
refers to a trained reserve officer as described in Penal Code Section 832.6(a)(3), who is supervised in the accessible vicinity by a level I reserve police officer or a full-time regular peace officer employed by a law enforcement agency authorized to have reserves and deployed in limited support duties not requiring general law enforcement powers in their routine performance. Those limited support duties shall include traffic control, security at parades and sporting events, report taking, evidence transportation, parking enforcement, and other duties that are not likely to result in physical arrests. Level III reserve officers may transport prisoners without immediate supervision.
D.
Establishment of Reserve Police Force. There is established for the city of Crescent City a reserve police force to be an auxiliary of the regularly constituted full-time paid police department of the city of Crescent City. The reserve police force shall be separate and distinct from the regular full-time police force. Reserve police officers shall be volunteer workers only and shall not be deemed to be employees of the city of Crescent City for any purpose other than that which is described in this section.
E.
Appointments.
1.
A reserve police officer shall be appointed by the chief of police, subject to approval by the city manager.
2.
Prior to entering upon their duties, each reserve police officer must take the constitutional oath of office.
3.
Reserve police officers shall not be subject to any civil service requirements, nor shall they be subject to the coverage provided by the law enforcement retirement system.
4.
An applicant, to be eligible, must be physically fit to perform the duties of a police officer, and be able to pass a police background investigation that is consistent with Commission standards for that of a regular full-time police officer.
5.
Reserve officers appointed pursuant to this subsection shall satisfy the continuing professional training requirements prescribed by the Commission.
F.
Authority of the Chief of Police.
1.
The reserve police force shall be under the direction and control of the chief of police.
2.
The Chief of Police is authorized to promulgate and enact rules and regulations governing the reserve police force.
3.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as preventing the chief of police from revoking or suspending any level reserve status of any appointed reserve police officer, nor shall the chief of police be under any mandate to recommend any such appointment of any individual reserve police officer. Members of the reserve police force shall serve at the pleasure of the chief and are subject to removal or termination at any time, with or without cause.
G.
Arrest Authority and Authorized Powers of Reserve Police Officer I, II and III. By statute, level I and level II reserve police officers have full peace officer powers with arrest authority as described in this section.
1.
Level I Reserve Police Officer.
a.
The chief of police is authorized and empowered to appoint specific designated level I reserve police officers. The authority of a "designated" level I reserve police officer, assigned to the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the laws of this state, shall include the full powers and duties of a peace officer as provided by Penal Code Section 830.1.
b.
Upon being "designated" by the chief of police, a reserve police officer who has qualified as a level I reserve police officer and possesses any one of the following, hereby possesses full powers and duties of a peace officer as provided in Section 830.1 of the California Penal Code:
i.
A sworn officer of the Crescent City police department bearing a retired status;
ii.
A minimum of two years of field experience as a reserve police officer with the Crescent City police department comprising a minimum of 400 hours and has satisfied competency levels and performance satisfactory to the chief of police;
iii.
Have "comparable experience" of a minimum of five years with another jurisdiction in the state of California as a full-time peace officer;
iv.
Have comparable experience of a minimum of five years with another jurisdiction in the state of California as a level I reserve peace officer and two years as a reserve police officer with the Crescent City police department comprising a minimum of two hundred hours.
c.
All appointments to the designated level I reserve police officer status shall be at the discretion of the chief of police.
d.
A "non-designated" level I reserve police officer possesses full powers and duties of a peace officer only during the duration of assignment to specific police functions as described in Penal Code Section 830.6(a)(1).
2.
Level II Reserve Police Officer. A level II reserve police officer is a peace officer with peace officer powers and arrest authority while under the immediate supervision of a peace officer who has completed the basic training course for deputy sheriffs and police officers (regular basic course) prescribed by the Commission. Level II reserve police officers may also be assigned, with immediate supervision, to those limited duties that are authorized for level III reserve police officers as described in Penal Code Section 832.6(a)(2).
3.
Level III Reserve Police Officer. A level III reserve police officer is a peace officer with limited peace officer authority who does not possess the level of training that provides powers of arrest. A level III reserve police officer may be assigned duties for the duration of a specified period of active duty, while being supervised in the accessible vicinity by a level I reserve police officer or full-time police officer. Not all duties as listed in this section may necessarily be performed by each individual holding this classification. Level III reserve police officers are authorized to carry firearms in the course of their duties as their entry-level training requirement includes firearms training. However, their ability to carry a firearm may be restricted at the discretion of the chief of police.
(Ord. 857, 7/7/2025)
