Reserve Police Officer

Salary: $0.00 Hourly
Location : City of Escondido, CA
Job Type: Reserve - Unpaid
Job Number: 03815
Department: Police
Opening Date: 09/09/2026


Summary


Are you up for a challenging opportunity for community service? Have you ever considered a position as a Police Officer but did not want to give up your current career? Then the Escondido Police Department Reserve Unit is looking for you. When you join our team we can offer you:

• Continuing advanced law enforcement training
• Experience as a Police Officer
• Opportunities to demonstrate your abilities as a Police Officer in the areas of Patrol, Traffic, and Investigations
• The chance to build upon a potential career in law enforcement
• The opportunity to serve our city and the community

Consider your future in law enforcement and join the best Police Reserve Unit in Southern California. Over 60 of our regular officers started their law enforcement careers as an Escondido Police Reserve Officer with many others moving on to full time positions with various other state and local law enforcement agencies.


The Unit
The Escondido Police Reserve Unit is a Community Service-based, non-paid volunteer law enforcement unit and is an integral part of the Escondido Police Department. Since its inception, the Reserve Unit has supported the Escondido Police Department in a variety of law enforcement operations. The Reserve Unit is made up of P.O.S.T. certified, academy trained Level I, II, and III Reserve Officers.

The Reserve Unit is a police department within the Police Department and is commanded by a staff comprised of a Reserve Captain, Reserve Lieutenant, and a Reserve Sergeant. Reserve Sergeants supervise and oversee the balance of the Reserve Unit. A Regular command level Captain, Lieutenant, and Sergeant are assigned as Reserve Coordinators and advisors to the Reserve Staff on a rotational basis.

The primary mission of the Reserve Unit is support for Patrol Division. This support is provided by Level I Reserve Officers as a single or two-officer police unit assigned to city beats and sectors. Under current P.O.S.T. guidelines, Level II and III Reserve Officers are assigned to Regular Officers and Level I Reserve Officers for law enforcement operations.

Testing Process and Requirements
Reserve Officer applications, testing, backgrounds, and training are conducted in the same manner as full-time Regular Officer hiring procedures. Upon completion of a California P.O.S.T. certified Basic Academy or Reserve Academy, the Reserve Officer is assigned to 450 hours of field training, in six phases, with a P.O.S.T. certified Field Training Officer. This assignment affords the Reserve Officer access to the same quality training pipeline as a Regular Officer. At the end of all training, the Reserve Officer is released by the Police Department Training Division Sergeant to the Reserve Unit for assignment and Reserve Officer orientation.

Level I Reserve Officers are required to work a minimum of 16 hours per month on a rotational schedule assigned and managed by the Reserve Scheduling Sergeant. Level II Reserve Officers are required to work a minimum of 16 hours a month. Level III Reserve Officers are required to work a minimum of 16 hours per month. Level II and III Reserve Officers must be assigned to a full-time Regular Officer or Level I Reserve Officer while participating in assigned or volunteer patrol duties and special details.

All Escondido Police Reserve Officers are required to attend a monthly Reserve Unit meeting with assigned training for the event. Other training opportunities include quarterly department qualifications in defensive tactics, range qualifications, and access to advanced P.O.S.T. certified training classes and courses offered throughout San Diego County.

As part of the continuing support to the Escondido Police Departments law enforcement operations, and depending upon the California P.O.S.T. and academy level certification, Reserve Officers are assigned to Patrol, Gang Enforcement, Background Investigations, Training, Investigations, Crime Scene and Perimeter Protection Teams, DUI Check Points, Prisoner Transport, Parades, and, most importantly, public relations assignments at civic events in the City of Escondido.
This position does not include benefits.