Sheriff Mark Bowen and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Division invite the public to attend a graduation celebration at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Historic Courtroom for 14 new Reserve Deputies. During the ceremony, the new reserves will be inspected and will be sworn-in to receive their law enforcement authority.
The new deputies have been in training since January and have already completed nearly 600 hours of volunteer work during the Reserve Academy. All Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Deputies must complete this academy which is instructed by officers accredited and certified in their areas of expertise. The academy follows the same basic curriculum as that of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy that certifies full-time officers from around the State of Indiana. The new deputies met on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and every other weekend for over eight months to complete this portion of their training.
After graduating from the Reserve Academy, the new reserve deputies will complete approximately 500 hours of field training under the supervision of a Merit Deputy. Once this training is completed the Reserves will be fully qualified to perform patrol duties and may also assist in other areas of the Sheriff’s Office. Reserve Deputies also provide court security and work special events and details as needed. Their work is unpaid volunteer service with most Reserves contributing hundreds if not thousands of hours to the county each year. Expectations of Reserves are high as they must meet the same training and qualifications as full-time Merit Deputies.