I interviewed recently before a board of three at the local PD for a reserve officer's position. As a result, I have some questions I'm hoping could be answered.
1) Is there a typical pay-rate for reserve officers?
2) Do they typically get paid while attending the reserve academy?
3) Does it go up after completion of the reserve academy?
4) Is it common practice that reserve officers pay their way through the reserve academy, and for their job-related gear?

Those are questions to ask the department you wish to be a reserve for. My old dept. used to give them the same yearly percentage raise as the full timers(the reserves hourly was much lower). It took 5 years to top out in the pay steps.

We did not pay them while attending the academy.

The reserve paid half of the tuition and we paid half and supplied all gear. If the reserve stayed for two years, they were paid back their half of the tuition.

SPOT;

HARDKNOCKS is correct.....check with them, each agency is different. Our agency only pays part time officers. We have reserve/auxilary officers that don't get paid, however there are security details they can sign up for that are paid (high school games, county fair, etc). They pay for their own training with my agency as well.

Thank you. I will ask the L-T who "recruited" me. Should have asked while interviewing with the board but I was quite nervous. You know, sitting in a room with three cops, one of them a fine looking brunette.

Spot,

I was a Reserve at two agencies here in CA. I paid my way through the academy and we received $1. a year. We served for free. Some agencies have pay jobs, some don't. Don't assume that you are going to get pay and bennies. As stated, you really need to ask (and should have found out earlier in the process).

Yeah, I know. Guess I should have told the L-T, no, I'm really not interested at this point. I'll see what happens. Live and learn.

Spot,

No big deal if you won't get paid. Doing this puts you in a better position vis a vis your employment plans. I wouldn't turn things down unless you really can't afford to do it.

I went from a newby Reserve to running homicide scenes in one year because of the ghetto I worked in. When I lateraled I had about 10 years of solid experience from my two years Reserve time... Not to mention all the cool details and stuff I got to do.

The other consideration is by being POST certified or what ever your area calls having an active peace officer commission, opens doors to other agencies. Many smaller agencies look closely at guys who are already certified. It cuts down on their training costs and speeds up the filling of positions.

9 times out of 10, guys with commissions were hired over a guy with nothing. The tenth guy was always someone either exceptionally talented and well liked or a political favor.