Of the three new programs that the Demopolis Police Department started this year, the reserve program — involving citizens with police work — offers perhaps the best true-life experience in the lives of a police officer that a non-officer can get.

On Friday, the four members of the DPD reserves program were sworn in by mayor Mike Grayson as members of the police department.

“The reserves have to commit 12 hours per month to be a part of the police department, whether it’s riding or whatever needs to be done,” Reese said. “They will get the chance to ride with police offices, go on calls and so on. You won’t be able to tell the difference between them and the real police officer. They will wear the same uniform and do the same things, assisting the veteran officers with their jobs.”

The four people sworn in as part of the reserve program were Norbert Perret III, Norbert “Buddy” Perret IV, Mark Favela and Kelley Reeve, who came to Demopolis as a DPD intern and plans to stay.

Reese said the reserve officers went through 40 hours of training and preparation to be able to work with the police department.

“They went to the firing range and were certified,” Reese said. “They went through the department procedures manual, through the training divisions, learned about deadly force — everything that a police officer goes through in an abbreviated form.”

Reese said that while these kinds of police programs are common in cities larger than Demopolis, there are larger cities using Demopolis as a template to begin their own programs.

To become a member of the DPD reserves program, get an application from the Demopolis Police Department at the corner of Washington Street and Cedar Avenue.