You probably have seen them around before, at Contraband Days, the Rabbit Festival, at the mall during the holidays, and other community events. They work patrol, stakeouts, and are on the waterways. They are bus drivers, financial planners, plant operators, construction workers, and teachers. They work side by side with other divisions of the Sheriff’s Office and are over 70 deputies strong. They are the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Reserve Division.
The reserve program is based on some very simple concepts. “Promote citizen involvement in law enforcement. Project and protect the integrity and professionalism of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office while assisting the fellow members of our parish along with the visitors from other areas.”
This group networks with other reserve groups throughout the country through its professional association NRLO (National Reserve Law Officers Association). When requested, the reserves travel out of the parish to aid other agencies who are short on law enforcement personnel for special events.
There are minimal requirements to become a deputy with the reserve division. You must be 21 years of age, in good health, and have the flexibility to actively participate in the division. We have a monthly meeting and a quarterly training class.
If interested in becoming a reserve deputy, first, download and complete an application from the “Employment” section on this website. For position applying for, put reserve division. Once you have submitted the application and all necessary paperwork, a background check will be completed and you will be called for an interview. Interviews are scheduled at the end of the summer and the beginning of fall.
If accepted you will attend a three week academy which is generally held in September or October. The academy is conveniently set up in the evening from 6:00 and 9:00, Monday thru Thursday and all day on Saturday each of the three weeks to try and accommodate most professional work schedules. The first week will be a study session to pass a written test at the end of the week along with firearms training on the first Saturday. Passing the written test and qualifying with your firearm are mandatory to move on to the final two weeks of training. There will be several skilled instructors aiding you in these tasks.
Most of your questions will be answered during the interview process, but feel free to email us at reserve@cpso.com with any questions. We look forward to working with you!
1011 Lakeshore Dr., PO Box 1787
Lake Charles, LA 70601
P (337) 494-4519
F (337) 436-4870