Thinking about becoming a Police reservists.

[Petars]

Any reservists on this board that i can talk to?

Or any one that like to share their experiences as a police reservist?

[Henris]

I think Spike is. Probably AB as well.

[Spike]

It seems that it depends on your local police station personnel.
I suggest that you try speak to guys who are reservists at your local police station and chat about local conditions and internal politics. Some reservists love it and some hate it, depending on local management. I know of some guys who moved from their local station and signed up at a station further away to get to a friendlier environment

[Family_Dog]

I used to be a Police reservist for over ten years, but one night during our monthly meeting, the local Police Officer in charge of us was so intoxicated he could not get any coherent words out. I resigned that same week. So yes, as Spike says, get to know your local Police Station first.


-F_D

[Dirk]

Are you prepared to do the training, 3-6 months initially, study, write exams.
Are you prepared to then do 140 hours charge office time?
Then are you prepared to do you 18 (I think) hours per month?

There are two grafes you can apply for, A or D. Grade A is fully fledged police member, and may operate with other members, or with a reservist member. Grade A members receives full training, including firearm training.

Grade D members are aimed at sector policing, typically do not receive firearm training, and may thus not carry a service pistol. Grade D members may not operate alone, nor may they operate with another D grader, they have to be paired with a Grade A full time or reservist member.

If you apply for grade D you may find that grade A members are hesitant to serve with you as you will not be able to "defend" yourself. The hours per month is much less, as is the training requirements, but you will essentially become a SAPS gofer.

If you have any doubt in your mind if you should, or should'nt do it then to me personally it is not clear that you are already committed, to become a police reservist is a huge undertaking and requires commitment from you.

If you do become one, I will be the first one to shake your hand if the opportunity ever arises. I have started my training late last year, but have not continued yet, as currently I just cannot find the time to give to the SAPS.

Reservists form a core part of the police force, and the more reservists they can get the better for the communities where those reservists are serving.

Be aware thought, the initial period (year or two) will not be glamorous, the few months will be spent in the charge office writing complaints, then only will you move onto the outside work, and then you will most probably be in a cpu (crime prevention vehicle).

If you can answer yes to all of the above, go for it....

Dirk

[Dirk]

Oh, and sorry I have to disagree with F_D, if you end up with an officer intoxicated report that office to the station commissioner, if the station commission does not act then continue up the chain, I presume then it would be cluster commander or something.

[Petars]

Thanks guys will speak to Westville SAPS next week, they seem like a organized bunch and have a good connection to the community.

http://www.westbeat.org.za/home.htm

[Petars]

How to become a Police reservist
Condition/Service description:
Any person wanting to become a police reservist must be aware that a reservist is a member of the community that performs part time (at least sixteen (16) hours per month) policing functions or activities for the South African Police
Service on a voluntary basis without being remunerated for such services.
Process:
You could decide to become a reservist in one of the following categories:
Category A Reservist: Functional Policing:
Perform functions in all operational facets of policing either at stations, area or provincial level, but excluding specialized functional duties;
May wear a uniform;
Will be trained in relevant aspects of functional policing.
Category B Reservist: Support Services:
Perform specific support functions in an administrative capacity at national, provincial, area or station level and may not be utilized to perform functional policing functions,
Do not wear uniform, Where necessary, be trained in relevant legal aspects, policy and instructions applicable to his/her specific functions.
Category C Reservist: Specialized functional policing:
Must be a person who has particular skills or expertise which can be utilised operationally by the Service, eg pilots, doctors, divers, social workers, psychologists, etc;
Shall perform specific functions in his/her field of expertise;
May, with the approval of his/her commander, wear a uniform;
Must be trained in relevant legal aspects, policy and instructions applicable to his/her specific function; and for such periods as may be determined by the National or Provincial Commissioner concerned.
Category D Reservist: Rural and urban sector policing:
Perform functions in operational facets of policing related to sector policing in urban and rural in a specific sector at station level or will only perform duties in specified areas within a specific sector as determined by the commander;
May wear a uniform depending on utilization;
Must be trained in relevant aspects of sector policing and/ or functional policing relating to his or her duties depending on area of utilization.
Additional training will be required if involved in sector policing functional operations.
A reservist appointed to one category may be transferred to any other category if he/she complies with all the requirements for the specific category and has undergone or is willing to undergo the required training for that
category.
According to the regulations for South African Reserve Police Service it is required to have:
permanent residence in the Republic of South Africa
you must at least be 18 years and under 70 years of age
you must complete a health questionnaire as determined by the National Commissioner
you must be free of any mental defect, disease or infirmity which may interfere with the proper execution of your duties
you must be of good character, for which positive background enquiries must be obtained
you must successfully complete such psychometric tests/ assessment as may be determined by the National Commissioner you must be in possession of at least a senior certificate or equivalent qualifications of which documentary proof must be furnished you must be able to speak, read and write at least English as one of the official languages you must allow your fingerprints to be taken and you must not have not been found guilty of an offence you must not be under prosecution of an offence
you must be prepared to undergo such training as may be determined you must be prepared to take the oath of office
No visible tattoos possessing a drivers licence is a recommendation but not a prerequisite for reservist.
How to become a Reservist:
Approach the nearest Police Station complete an application form, SAPS 93
Personal Particulars (Annexure B)
Undertaking, (Annexure C)
Health questionnaire, (Annexure E)
Security questionnaire, Z204 - if you are not a RSA Citizen;
Fingerprint enquiry form, (SAPS 91 (a); and
Permission from your parents or guardian if you are below the age of 21 years, (SAPS 30);
Make sure that you bring the following documentation:
Certified copy of your identity document
Certified copy of your drivers license, if you posses a drivers licence
Certified copies of your academic qualifications
If you are found to be suitable, your application will be approved by
the Area Commissioner and you will be sworn in. You will not be allowed to perform functional duties before you successfully attended your training, where after you will be issued with an official appointment certificate and a uniform, but not before a period of six months has elapsed after your appointment.
Who cannot be appointed as a Reservist:
A person who has been discharged as medically unfit from a previous employer
A former member of the South African Police Service whose application for reenlistment was rejected
A person who holds any post or office in a political party
A full-time journalist or media representative
A scholar
A security officer
A member of a Municipal Police Service
Cost:
This service is rendered free of charge.
Contact and location:
This service is rendered at any local police station, but could also be rendered at an area, provincial or national office.(contacts)

Legal Instrument:
The South African Police Service Act, 1995 (Act No 68 of 1995)
The Regulations for the South African Reserve Police Service
Depending on which class you wish to contribute, training is conducted either centrally or in the station by In-Service Trainers. It is best to apply at the station closest to where you live. A driver’s licence is an advantage. Applicants must be over 18 years old, be of sound mind and ethics, have no criminal record (yes, we check), have a desire to help the community at large and be committed to a thoroughly rewarding challenge.
Reservists are required to perform at least 16 hours of work a month. (Two shifts of eight hours or pare thereof) It is a completely voluntary vocation, a calling rather than a hobby.
Instead of standing around the braai moaning about the crime rate or complaining about the service you receive from the SAPS, you can be proud to say that you are making the direct effort to rectify the situation. Not many of us are willing to get dressed up on a Friday or Saturday and put in the extra hours, put yourself in the line of fire or on the receiving end of the phone calls for free.
If you are one of the few, your contribution will be enthusiastically accepted.
Enquiries can be forwarded to Cst S Clark at SAPS Westville. Telephone 031-2677 340, office hours.

[Petars]

I am looking at Section C reservist. I have no inclination to do active service and i dont mind doing paper work.

[kfxnando]

this might sound like a silly ques!!!

why do you wish to become a reservist? ?

what involvement do you have with he SAPS so far? ?

why not just 1st just join the local CPF to see .............!!!? ?

[Petars]

Originally Posted by kfxnando

this might sound like a silly ques!!!

why do you wish to become a reservist? ?

what involvement do you have with he SAPS so far? ?

why not just 1st just join the local CPF to see .............!!!? ?

Thank you for your questions.

I want to contribute back to the community.

I had some involvement with SAPS, that involved some very bad people being arrested and some killed.

Already communicating with Westville CPF.

I am going to speak to the station commander today. Will keep you guys updated about my progress.

[justinfloyd]

allo all
thought i might add in 10c worth.

I joined at the start of this year, im now 5 months in and i can tell you 3 very important things
1. Its like waiding through deep water!
2. It is some of the best therapy i have had in a while.
3. Choose your station carefully!

1. The process of doing your training, paper work, charge office hours and simply getting a uniform requires an unbelievable amount of effort on your behalf. don't get me wrong the tests are ridiculously easy and the charge office work u can do in a weekend but everything moves sooooooo slowly.
singed up in nov 08, started tests/theory work feb 09, took 3 weeks to finish. (3 nights a week 2 hour sessions) its now mid may and i still have no uniform, no fire arms training and all my documentation still has not been sent off for aporval. (was supposed to do fire arms training in april but they postponed it for a month )

2. I have been doing some patrols every now and then, dont respond to alpha calls becuase I am not armed (just to straiten things out here, not armed dosent mean im not compitent, and the captian i patrol with always signs out a shot gun that he dosent like to cary around or use, get it, whitch dose mean huge leagal sh1t if somethign goes down but ill take leagal battles over loss of life and so will he), but its good practice taking statments working road blocks and working as a type of sweeper team after doing a large scalle opperation.
I work friday nights 6pm till 2am and i pary on saturday nights, it dosent work too well the other way arround.
its great to be learning new skills, helping people who need it and making a difference (i know it sounds cheesy and stupid but it realy dose) and its good to get some anger out when you have a tiked up junky throwing bottles at the van. (westlake is in my sector, the ocupants provide some truly educational experiances)

3. the most important thing buy far is to choose the right station, if you start off at a big station, no one will pay attention to you, no one will want to patrol with you, there will never be enough weapons, vests or vehicles and youll have it!

Find a station that fits your demographics and the level of policeing you are looking for. example i live in cape town cbd but the police station here is massive and hectic so i joined up in kirstenhoff, a smaller station that covers, a large section of leafy green suburbs, an informal settelment, half a moutin side and a section of lower main road and bergvleit. (gives us a nice mix of everything, burglaries in the rich whities houses, gang riots, drug busts and shabeen raids in westlate, and hundreds of domestic abuse situations in the middle class areas.

Sounds sudistic to say a nice mix but if you choose to patrol somewhere like lavender hill its going to be gang fight, police shooting, atempted murder, murder, suicide ect... not so nice)

the othe rthing with kirstenhoff is that all the reservists live arround there, so i patrol with middle ageged afluent white males, racist of me? yes but u need two things when you start off.
1 someone who is going to take you under thier wing and teach you everything (becuse the std training is about 5% of what u need to know to police effectivley)
2 you need to know that if push comes to shove there going to be there for you and visa versa, I refuse to patrol with some of the women at my station, I have seen them at the range and its pathetic.

Some of the guys there are also just looking to be tin gods on a power trip, they are unberable to patrol with becasue they have no respect.

There is always berucratic bull sh1t, at every station, u cannot guestion an order even if u think its rediculous (within reason obviously) u have to respect superiour officers no matter how mutch they irritate you and there are loads of rulles and procedures that are infuriating untill they become second nature.

and this is where i think the love it or hate it aspect comes in, if u get the right station with the right people your going to ave a life changing experiance (in a good way) but if you dont, its going to be terrable.

hope this helped.
j

Any other members out there, feel free to disagree, this is coming form my experiances and it may be limited to my station and reservists.

[justinfloyd]

1 more thing, after about a year / 18 months you will have made your way up to A level reservist, u can then ask to be transferred to a diff station closer to home (e.g. me moving to ct station) u will by then have enough knowledge and be respected/trusted enough to have a decent time/patrol effectively.

it is possible to be a member of more than one station however I'm not going to go there until im well established as im sure there will be a lot of diplomacy and paperwork to make it possible.

[ZU6SGN]

It has all been said above. Just one thing that has not been covered. If you make an arrest, 90% of the time (unless the accused pleads guilty which doesn't often happen) you will have to testify in court. If you do have to go to court, you are required to be there at 08:00 in the morning and stay there until your case comes up or until you are excused by the magistrate. This would usually be the entire day. It will always be a business day. Now, new reservists are very enthusiastic and make many many arrests. So, if you progress to become an A reservist, and likely an enthusiastic one, can you afford that amount of time off work?

[Petars]

Results of my research.

Local cops next to useless in explaining how to be a reservist. Westville Station chief told me that reservists are on freeze and not taking any more people.

I donno, weird stuff and too many stories.

[Lepogo]

When reading all the red tape stuff and non satisfactory results at the end -- why dont you join the Sanparks crowd and become a honorary ranger ?
Surely you can still do you bit and in a much nicer enviroment.

[Henris]

Lepogo, that sounds like a much better idea. They would probably appreciate your input as well.