The Demopolis Police Department swore in a pair of reserve officers Friday as Yalandia Little and Jason Pendergrass completed their 40 hours of training.

The reserve force helps the department to offset personnel shortages with special events such as football games, Christmas on the River, Freedom on the River and Hay Dayz.

“We will use them at the football games, sporting events, things of that nature,” Demopolis Police Chief Tommie Reese said. “They are basically used to offset manpower shortages.”

The reserve police force was implemented in 2009 and is designed to have no more than 15 members at a time with each serving a term of five years.

“Just to give something back to the community,” Pendergrass said of his reasons for voluntarily going through the training. “It was fairly technical training and you get some insights into what the police department really does.”

Little, a security officer at the Greene County Steam Plant, had similar reasons for signing up for the force.

“To come back and give something back for the community and to be able to give the community leadership, commitment and organization,” she said.

“I want to tell them ‘thank you’ for their commitment to their community,” Reese said.