Sutter County Municipal Code Ch. 330 Sheriff's Reserve Units

A Sheriff's Reserve Unit hereby is created and established as an organization which shall be composed of persons who shall have been appointed and sworn in as members thereof by the Sheriff or Undersheriff. The number of members in the Unit may be regulated by the Sheriff as to the needs of personnel by the County of Sutter and/or the Sheriff. The members shall serve gratuitously as such except, when paid as authorized by the County of Sutter or the Sheriff.

The Sheriff with the assistance of a "Screening Board" and Training Officer, shall establish the requirements to be met by persons to qualify to become members of the Sheriff's Reserve Unit. Such requirements shall include but not be limited to physical, mental aptitude, personality, inventory and character standards and the mandatory training of such persons, for a minimum of 200 hours, in all fields of police work and activity in accordance with the California Peace Officer Standards and Training, or in the discretion of the Board, better or higher standards. It shall be the duty of the Sheriff to provide for such training and also further training for members which he or said Board deem necessary or desirable.

Any person who shall be a member on the effective date or has been a member prior to the effective date may be continued as such only if he shall have certified in writing that he has read this Chapter which will show that he will adhere to the rules set forth in this Chapter.

The Sheriff with or without cause thereof, may terminate any member at any time and any member may resign as such at any time by written notification thereof to the Sheriff. Any member who shall cease to be such shall surrender, at the time he shall cease to be such, all property of the County which shall have been issued to him, at the time he became a member.

The Sheriff, shall have complete authority and control over the Sheriff's Reserve Unit and it's members and may delegate the exercise thereof, in whole or in part, to any of his subordinates. The Sheriff or any of his subordinates who he shall have designated therefor may establish, by order which may be changed from time to time, rules and regulations governing the Unit and it's members, providing for the maintenance of discipline and the assigning of each member to perform police duties in a patrol car with a member of the Sheriff's Department, in crowd control or specialized assignments.

Each member of the Unit shall serve as such for at least two assigned shifts each calendar month for which he shall be paid the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) per shift as reimbursement to him for expenses and not as salary, wages or compensation for service rendered.

Each member, while serving as such, shall have the status as a Deputy Sheriff or as a Peace Officer and, as such, shall have the same power and authority except to the extent that the same may be restricted or limited by the Sheriff, as does a regular Deputy Sheriff while serving as such. However, each member at all times other than while serving as such:

(1) Shall not have status as a Deputy Sheriff or as a Peace Officer;

(2) Shall not have any power, authority or duties as a Deputy Sheriff or as a Peace Officer; and

(3) Shall not represent, identify or hold himself out to be a Deputy Sheriff or Peace Officer.

Each member of the Sheriff's Reserve Unit shall be issued at the expense of the County and at no expense to him, the Identification Card stating "Regular Reserve," (other equipment that may be issued). Each member while serving as such, shall wear, display or carry, as the case may be, every item, except hereunder provided, which shall have been issued to him as a member, whether or not hereinabove mentioned, provided however, that he shall not carry any firearm unless he shall have qualified for and received a gun permit signed by the Sheriff.

Each member, at all times, other than while serving as such, shall not wear, display or carry, as the case may be, any such item unless he shall do so in such a manner that the item, if it were to be seen by another person, could not be identified by him as being one issued to a regular Deputy Sheriff or to be a member of the Sheriff's Reserve Unit.

It shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not to exceed six months or by fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) or both, for any person not a member on the Sheriff's Reserve Unit:

(1) To wear, display or carry, as the case may be, any items which shall have been issued to any member of the Unit; or

(2) To represent, identify or hold himself out, in any manner whatsoever, to be a member of the Unit or to have any connection with the Unit.

For the purpose of this Chapter, each member of the Sheriff's Reserve Unit shall be an employee of the County of Sutter only while serving any assigned shift as a member or while receiving further training as such, and shall be an employee of the County of Sutter while receiving any required training to qualify to become a member of such Unit. If any member or any such person were to suffer or sustain any illness or injury proximately caused by, arising out of, and in the course of, his service or training while an employee of the County, as hereinabove limited, he shall be entitled to all those Workmen's Compensation Benefits, no more, no less, to which he, pursuant to the provisions of Division Four of the Labor Code of the State of California, but only upon the conditions therein provided thereof, would be entitled if he were a regular deputy sheriff receiving a monthly salary as such.

If any such member or any such person were to die as a result of any illness or injury proximately caused by, arising out of, and in the course of, his service, or training while an employee of the County, as hereinabove limited, those persons who, if the deceased had been a regular deputy sheriff receiving monthly salary as such, would be entitled to any Workmen's Compensation benefits pursuant to the provisions of Division 4 of the Labor Code of the State of California shall be entitled, but only upon the conditions provided thereof in said Division, by the same such benefits, no more, or no less.

(Ord. 404, Sec. 1; June 22, 1970)