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 Phone: 248-837-2800
Fax: 248-585-5220
Reserve Station Hours: Monday-Friday, 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
The Police Reserves is coordinated by Sergeant Stephen Worton.
Background
Functions
Special Events
Special Distinctions
Requirements to Be A Police Reserve Officer
Background
City Ordinance Number 508 was passed on November 12, 1973, establishing the Madison Heights Police Reserve Unit. The Reserve Unit, like the Police Department, is a quasi-military group having specific rules and regulations which designate the Reserve Unit's role.
The primary function of the Madison Heights Police Reserve Unit is to aid and assist the sworn certified Police Officers of the City. This has been accomplished by agreeing to handle certain functions and responsibilities. Assuming these responsibilities gives the Police Department more time to do their patrol duties. The Unit falls under the direction of the Auxiliary Services Sergeant, a sworn member of the Madison Heights Police Department.
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Functions
City Ordinance Number 508 was passed on November 12, 1973, establishing the Madison Heights Police Reserve Unit. The Reserve Unit, like the Police Department, is a quasi-military group having specific rules and regulations which designate the Reserve Unit's role.
The primary function of the Madison Heights Police Reserve Unit is to aid and assist the sworn certified Police Officers of the City. This has been accomplished by agreeing to handle certain functions and responsibilities. Assuming these responsibilities gives the Police Department more time to do their patrol duties. The Unit falls under the direction of the Auxiliary Services Sergeant, a sworn member of the Madison Heights Police Department.
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Special Events
The Reserves are also utilized for many special events within the city. Many of these events are quite large in scope, with an attendance of several thousand people.
Memorial Day Parade: The Reserve Unit, in conjunction with the Police Explorers and a small contingent of sworn police officers, work at the Madison Heights annual Memorial Day Parade. The parade route runs approximately two miles, necessitating the closing of several roads and driveways and directing traffic.
Fairs and Carnivals: In addition to the Jaycee Fair, which runs for approximately five days at the end of May, the Reserve Unit works at the many Festivals in the Park, providing crowd control and traffic direction. The largest of these Festivals is the Fourth of July Fireworks, an event drawing nearly 10,000 people.
School Functions: Members of the Reserve Unit work several school functions and sporting events for Madison Heights' three high schools. These events are numerous and last throughout the school year, creating a need for advance scheduling of volunteer personnel.
Pre-Halloween: Reserves, working with the other members of the Police Department's Auxiliary Services Unit, patrol schools and parks to minimize vandalism on Devil's Night. This tremendous undertaking requires that virtually all members of the Auxiliary Services Unit volunteer their time for the evening, as the City of Madison Heights contains 16 school buildings and 13 parks.
Emergencies: Many Reserves have been utilized to assist the police department during severe weather conditions. A Reserve officer's duties in these circumstances usually involve directing traffic at major intersections during power outages and standing by for utility repair personnel.
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Special Distinctions
 The Madison Heights Police Reserve Unit is one of the few such groups in the surrounding area to enjoy certain advantages.
Reserve Officers have their own station at the rear of the City's Department of Public Services Building. This office is well-equipped, with three computers, a fax machine, and portable radios. In addition, an upstairs locker room was added for Reserve Officers, in which the Unit's extensive Police Reserve patch collection is displayed.
Reserve Officers, in most cases, patrol solo in the Unit's six vehicles, which have been reconditioned and given to the Unit after use by the Sworn Officers of the Police Department. These vehicles have been specially marked and equipped for Reserve use and are stored in a carport which was constructed in 1998 on the lot of the Reserve station.
 Reserve Officers utilize the secondary police radio channel, and Police Explorers serve as their dispatchers.
Madison Heights Police Reserve Officers wear a uniform different from that worn by sworn officers. Initial uniforms and equipment are purchased by the individual Reserve Officers, with a ($200) annual uniform reimbursement from the City.
Unit members are armed with revolvers with which they are required to qualify on the Department's firearms range. Fellow Reserves act as Range Officers, having completed the same instruction course required of Sworn Officers.
In addition to individual recognition, the group has received several Unit Citations from the Police Department's Commendations Board, and a Reserve Officer of the Year is chosen annually by group members and honored by City Council. The Unit recently received approval for a special ribbon to be worn on the uniform of officers achieving this distinction.
 Several members volunteer their time during the warmer months as Reserve Bicycle Patrol Officers, wearing a uniform designed for that activity and using the Unit's two fully-equipped police mountain bikes.
The majority of the Unit's members have five or more years of service. Currently, the most senior members have over 20 years with the Reserve Unit. Many of the experienced members serve as Fielding Training Officers, orienting new Reserves to the functions and requirements of the group. Experienced members are chosen for leadership roles by acting as Platoon Leader or Assistant Platoon Leader for a specific night of the week. The group operates seven nights per week, usually for four or more hours, and each night is assigned one Platoon Leader and one Assistant Platoon Leader. These Reserves coordinate the activities of other Reserve Officers on the road during regular patrols and special events.
The Unit recently received approval for special ribbons to be worn on the uniforms of the officers, denoting the number of years that officer has served with the Reserves.
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Requirements to Be A Police Reserve Officer
 Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and have a valid Michigan driver's license, with a good driving record.- Volunteers must pass a criminal history check, physical exam, and oral interview, and must pass the Basic Police Reserve Officer Training Academy (two nights per week for approximately four months, roughly 125 hours of training, funded by the City), or have equivalent training.
- Must successfully complete the Reserve Police Field Training Program.
- Members are required to work at least 8 hours per month, in addition to occasional mandatory attendance at certain special events.
- Reserve Officers will be made familiar with and must follow the group's General Orders.
- For more information, call 248-837-2800.
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