Palm Bay police start reserve force

Faced with potential budget shortfalls and retiring officers, the Palm Bay Police Department plans to use young recruits such as Mat Sheppard to build a new crime-fighting reserve force.

The caveat: the 23-year-old and his fellow reservists can make arrests and patrol the streets but without pay or benefits.

“It’s normal to be nervous,” said Sheppard, a former retail salesman and Brevard County Law Enforcement graduate readying for the reserve force with intensive training.

“But this is a stepping stone to getting a job.”

The agency’s move to form a 20-member reserve unit of uniformed officers comes as police departments across the country look for creative ways to battle budget woes.

READ ENTIRE ARTICLE/PIC HERE

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