This spring, the Oklahoma House and Senate passed House Bill 2277, which clarifies and strengthens law enforcement reserve programs in the state. The modifying language applies specifically to Reserve Deputy Sheriffs, is similar to existing language permitting municipal police reserve officers to perform their duties ahead of CLEET certification, and provides new flexibility for recruitment and operational use of Reserve Deputies. One important change in the law is that appointed Reserve Deputies may perform their duties under the direct supervision of a CLEET-certified deputy before completing the 160-hour basic reserve officers training course and achieving CLEET certification. CLEET is the Oklahoma Council for Law Enforcement Education and Training. Four paragraphs are especially important, and are listed as follows:
B. Each sheriff may appoint as many reserve force deputy sheriffs as are necessary to preserve the peace and dignity of the county. A current list of each person holding such appointment shall be maintained by the county sheriff and shall be available to the public. Reserve force deputy sheriffs may perform duties which encompass a particular act or a series of acts. A sheriff or salaried CLEET-certified deputy sheriff shall accompany a reserve force deputy sheriff in the performance of all duties assigned to such reserve force deputy sheriff unless such reserve deputy has completed the required one-hundred-sixty-hour basic police course. Reserve force deputies may receive compensation for their services. The sheriff may pay reserve force deputies for travel expenses pursuant to the State Travel Reimbursement Act. Such reserve deputy sheriffs shall complete a one-hundred-sixty-hour basic police course within twelve (12) months after they have been commissioned to be paid by the county as an individual reserve deputy. The sheriff may pay for additional training courses attended by reserve force deputies.
C. 1. For counties with a population of two hundred thousand (200,000) or more persons, according to the latest Federal Decennial Census, reserve force deputy sheriffs with at least one hundred sixty (160) hours of training pursuant to Section 3311 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall not serve more than one hundred forty(140) hours per calendar month;
2. For counties with a population of less than two hundred thousand (200,000) persons, according to the latest Federal Decennial Census, reserve force deputy sheriffs with at least one hundred sixty (160) hours of training shall not serve more than one hundred ten (110) hours per calendar month.
F. A sheriff of the county may respond to any request from any other jurisdiction within the state for law enforcement assistance in cases of emergency. The sheriff, deputy sheriffs and reserve deputy sheriffs serving in response to the emergency request shall have the same powers and duties as though employed by the requesting law enforcement agency, and when so acting they shall be deemed to be acting within the scope of employment of the requesting law enforcement agency. Salaries, insurance and other benefits shall be provided in the regular manner by the county in which the sheriff, deputy sheriffs and reserve deputy sheriffs are regularly employed. As used in this subsection, “emergency” means a sudden and unforeseeable occurrence or condition, either as to its onset or its extent, of such severity or magnitude that immediate response or action is necessary to assist law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction at the scene of the emergency to carry out their functions.
G. A reserve force deputy sheriff shall be authorized to serve civil process pursuant to Section 2004 of Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
