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This is about Durban South Africa
The organization is known as the Reserve Police Service and it started in 1962. The organization is the same throughout the country.
They recruit on a need basis and on the requirements for each individual police station. They
require a matric education certificate, fit and between the ages of 12 and 70 years. They have
four categories -
A = Fully functional police officer.
B = Support services - administration and office work
C = Specialized services i.e. Divers, Pilots, Forensic Auditors etc.
D = Sector Policing members - Fully functional field workers in the rural areas.
They are required to undergo a basic training course lasting approx five months (Week-ends
only). There after they continue with in-service training which must be completed within two years.
On duty they have the same powers (and the same penalties if we are wrong) as a regular
member of the police service. They wear exactly the same uniform and same rank insignia.
They are only paid if we are specifically called up such as for elections or other times when an
increased police presence is required. Otherwise they work on an unpaid voluntary basis.
Not sure of the total number of reservists in all seven provinces but in the province KwaZulu
Natal, they have 3800 (!) members.
They are very well accepted and appreciated by the majority of the permanent service.
They can join the unions and the I.P.A.
I think, they will be a permanent feature in the police service in this country with the high crime
rate and understaffed permanent force.
Rank structure is similar to military ranks i.e. Non Commissioned Officers are Constables,
Sergeants and Inspectors. Commissioned Officers are Captain, Superintendent (Major/Lieut
Colonel) , Senior Superintendant (FullColonel), Director (Brigadier General) and then Assistant
Commisioner (Maj General) Provincial Commissioner (Lieut General) and Commissioner
(Head of the police.) Reservists can only be promoted to the rank of Director and there are three
of us in the country.
After full training and qualifications they can be armed with PR 24 Tonfa, 9mm Beretta Pistol,
12gg Beretta shotguns, 5,56mm assault rifle. They can use tear smoke and stun grenades.
Finally they can belong to any unit, detectives, child abuse, air wing, Dog unit,Flying squad etc.
they cannot join units involved with crowd control as this is seen as a specialist sector.
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