A couple of changes were made to city code to update the reserve police officer program requirements.

Seymour Police Department Chief Greg O’Brien said changes at the state level set the maximum number of reserve officers for a department.

After talking to city attorney Christina Engleking and reviewing the rules, O’Brien said he and Assistant Chief John Watson looked at 10% of the force to determine the maximum number of reserves. That would be 4.6, so they rounded up to five officers for the SPD reserve program.

Currently, O’Brien said the department has one reserve officer, but a couple of other people have expressed interest in serving.

Another update to the reserve officer ordinance states they shall serve a minimum of 144 hours per year, or 12 hours per month.

The ordinance amendments were unanimously approved 7-0 on first reading during the Sept. 11 Seymour Common Council meeting, and the second and final reading passed 4-0 during Monday’s meeting with council President Dave Earley and councilmen Drew Storey and Seth Davidson absent.

SPD’s reserve officer program is administered and managed by the police chief, who establishes rules and procedures for the program subject to the approval of the Seymour Board of Public Works and Safety.

O’Brien said reserves are required to do the same training as full-time officers, and they volunteer their time and are not paid by SPD.

O’Brien said he thought people who wanted to become a police officer would start as a reserve, but the department didn’t see that happen. Instead, it has been more like a step-back program.

“Active-duty officers, once they retire, they want to stay in it but not full time,” he said. “They’ve done it for their entire career. It’s what they know, and they want to give back.”