Unit Spotlight


The St Paul Police Reserve

+  The St. Paul Police Reserve began in 1941 during World War II as Air Raid Wardens attached to the St. Paul Police Department. In 1967 the Air Raid Wardens became the Saint Paul Police Reserve, assigned to Community/Volunteer Services. The primary function of the Reserves was traffic and crowd control at events in the city. In 1976, a second arm of Volunteer Services was established as the Neighborhood Assistance Officers. Their duty was to drive through the neighborhoods and to be the “eyes and ears” for the Police Department. In 2003, the NAO and Police Reserve programs were combined into a new Police Reserve program, making more people available to watch over our city.

+  The St Paul Police Reserve is an autonomous organization that operates under the Assistant Chief, Support Services and Homeland Security Division, with a sworn St. Paul Police Sergeant and two sworn officers as full-time coordinators. The St Paul Police Reserve currently has 85 reserve officers. There are three Commanders, Events, Patrol and Bikes; and nine Sergeants, covering training, events, patrol and bikes, among those volunteers. The Reserves range in ages from 18 to 80.

+  In 2007, the St Paul Police Reserves donated over 16,000 hours to the Citizens of St. Paul.

+  Some of the Events worked by the Reserves included the State Fair, Taste of Minnesota, Twin Cities Marathon, Lightning Run, National Night Out, and numerous neighborhood parades and events. They patrol their neighborhood and parks offering assistance to visitors and citizens of St. Paul, on bike, foot and car. The Reserves also offer several free services to the Citizens of St. Paul: premise surveys, to give homeowners cost effective suggestions for upgrading the security of their homes; house watches, for residents while they are away from home; and recovering hundreds of abandoned bicycles though out the city. They also assist in training our sworn officers in traffic control and help out with other training experiences.

MPROA Reserve Unit Spotlights:
> Eden Prairie Police Reserve
> Maple Grove Police Reserve
> Pequot Lakes Police Reserve
> Saint Cloud Police Reserve
> Saint Paul Police Reserve
> Sherburne County Sheriff's Reserve
> Washington County Sheriff’s Reserve