Government : New Vinton PD Reserve Officers Sworn In

Family members pin the badges on the new Vinton Police Department reserve officers. JR Schemmel, Cory Nesbitt, and Payton Bartling are sworn in as Reserve Officers with the Vinton Police Department. On June 18, 2017, the Vinton Police Department held a swearing-in ceremony for three newly certifiedreserve police officers. JR Schemmel, Cory Nesbitt, and Payton Bartling were hired and began theirtraining for the volunteer positions in the fall of 2016. They recently became certified as reserve peaceofficers by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA). Approximately 30 family members, friends andarea law enforcement personnel attended the ceremony to watch as family members pinned the newreserve officers' badges onto their uniforms before they took the Oath of Office. The Iowa Law Enforcement Academy requires a minimum of 80 hours of formal training and 40 hours ofevaluated time on patrol in order to be considered for certification. The Vinton Police Departmentexceeds the Academy's minimum training requirements by more than double. The new reserve officerscompleted approximately 30 additional hours of formal basic training, approximately 50 hours ofweapons training, ongoing monthly training sessions, and have just begun a minimum 120 hour fieldtraining program where they will continue to be evaluated by regular police officers while on patrol. The new reserve officers hit the street this past weekend for the first time in uniform during Party in thePark and CountryFest providing more than 62 man-hours of additional coverage and visibility for noadditional expense to the City of Vinton. Reserve officers patrolled on foot, in squad cars, and onbicycles assisting regular officers with their duties. The Vinton Police Department currently has seven reserve police officers who donate a minimum of eight hours per month to the City of Vinton. They receive $1.00 per year as mandated by State law buthave full powers of arrest and allowed to perform most duties of a regular peace officer once they are fully trained. Information pamphlets are available at the Vinton Police Department for anyone interested in becoming reserve police officers.