15.1.1 QUALIFYING FOR AID.
The City of Torrance declares that it desires to qualify to receive aid from the State of California under the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title 4, Part 4 of the California Penal Code.
15.1.2 ADHERENCE TO STANDARDS.
Pursuant to Section 13522 of Chapter 1 of Title 4, Part 4 of the California Penal Code, the City of Torrance while receiving aid from the State of California pursuant to said Chapter 1, will adhere to the standards for recruitment and training established by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
15.2.1 ESTABLISHED, COMPOSITION AND COMPENSATION.
There is hereby established for the City, a Police Reserve Corps. Said Corps is established as a voluntary organization composed of persons to be appointed by the Police Chief, subject to the approval of the City Manager.
a) Each member so appointed shall be paid One Dollar ($1.00) per calendar year or fraction thereof at the time of appointment. Thereafter, the reserve member shall be paid at the rate of One Dollar ($1.00) per calendar year, payable on the second regular pay period in January.
b) The membership of said Corps shall not exceed fifty (50).
c) The Police Chief, under the direction of the City Manager, shall have complete authority and control over the Corps.
d) The Police Chief may appoint, subject to the approval of the City Manager, as members of the Police Reserve Corps, any persons whom he deems to be qualified and he may reject any application for membership.
15.2.2 EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF POLICE RESERVE OFFICERS.
The members of the Police Reserve Corps, as such, shall not be in or under the Civil Service System of the City, the Public Employees’ Retirement Act or System membership of the City; but each male or female member of the Corps, who has qualified and been sworn as such and who is injured or killed while performing active and specific duties as a peace officer of the City under the direction of the Police Chief or his agent, is deemed to be an employee of the City and shall be entitled to the benefits of Workmen’s Compensation Insurance as provided in the Labor Code.
15.2.3 FUNCTION OF CORPS.
The Police Reserve Corps shall function as a unit of the Police Department in the program and activities of the Civil Defense and Disaster Plan of the City and shall also function to assist regular police officers of said City in law enforcement and the maintenance of peace and order in all cases where, in the opinion of the Police Chief it is impracticable to furnish adequate police protection solely by means of the regular police officers of the City.
15.2.4 QUALIFICATIONS.
No person shall be appointed as a member of the Police Reserve Corps until he has taken the training and is able to meet all other requirements prescribed by the Police Chief for such membership. When so qualified, and when selected by the Police Chief, candidates shall be sworn in by the Police Chief, or his duly authorized representative, as members of the Corps and shall take and file with the City Clerk the required loyalty oath.
15.2.5 RULES AND REGULATIONS.
In order to effectuate the purpose of said Corps the Police Chief may, subject to the approval of the City Manager, establish and make amendments to rules and regulations to govern the Corps, including, but not limited to, the fixing of specific duties of its members and providing for the maintenance of discipline.
15.2.6 TRAINING AND ASSIGNMENTS.
The Police Chief shall provide for the training of candidates for membership in the Police Reserve Corps and for the further training of members of the Corps in all fields of Police activity, and for that purpose may assign such members to any of the various police duties of the Police Department of the City, subject to the approval of the City Manager.
15.2.7 ISSUANCE OF IDENTIFICATION.
When a selected candidate has been duly sworn in and has subscribed and filed the required loyalty oath, an identification card, badge, and cap piece, and such other insignia or evidence of identification as the Police Chief may prescribe, shall be issued to the candidate who shall then be considered appointed a member of the Police Reserve Corps. The insignia or badge shall be and remain the property of the City.
15.2.8 CARRYING ARMS.
a) No member of the Police Reserve Corps shall carry any firearms until he has qualified for and received a gun permit signed by the Police Chief.
b) All members of the Corps when on duty shall carry the regulation police baton unless otherwise instructed by the Police Chief.
15.2.9 AUTHORITY OF POLICE RESERVE CORPS MEMBERS.
A member of the Corps when on duty as assigned by the Police Chief, or his duly authorized representative, shall have the authority to direct traffic in accordance with the provisions of the ordinances of the City of Torrance and the laws of the State of California, and shall have the same general power of arrest as any regular member of the Police Department, subject, however, to any limitation which the Police Chief, or his duly authorized representative may impose.
15.2.10 TERMINATION AND RESIGNATION FROM MEMBERSHIP.
Any member of the Police Reserve Corps may be terminated from the Corps by the Police Chief at any time, and any member of the Corps may resign from the Corps at any time upon notifying the Police Chief in writing of his resignation.
15.2.11 INCREASING OR DECREASING MEMBERSHIP.
Subject the provisions of Sec. 15.2.1., the Police Chief, with the approval of the City Manager, may by order, diminish or expand the membership of the Corps at any time as in his discretion may be required.
15.2.12 UNIFORM, SIDEARMS, BELT, HOLSTER, ETC.
a) The uniform for members of the Police Reserve Corps shall be similar to the uniform worn by members of the regular Police Department, but with an identifying insignia to be prescribed by the Police Chief. Sidearms carried by members are to be carried in the regulation police Sam Browne belt and holster, as approved by the Police Chief.
b) The uniform, badge, cap piece, insignia (other than identification card), gun, belt, holster, and baton shall be carried only while the member carrying same is on duty as assigned by the Police Chief.
15.2.13 MISREPRESENTATION UNLAWFUL.
It shall be unlawful for any person (other than a regular police officer of said City) who is not a member of said Corps:
a) To wear, carry or display any identification card, badge, cap piece, uniform or insignia of said Corps; or
b) In any manner to represent himself to be connected with said Corps.
15.2.14 COURT ATTENDANCE PAY.
(Added by O-2828)
Whenever any member of the Police Reserve Corps is called to testify as a witness in any civil action as to facts observed by him in the course of performance of his duties as a reserve officer, such reserve officer shall be paid the sum of Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00).
ARTICLE 3 – MILITARY EQUIPMENT USE POLICY
(Added by O-3902)
15.3.010 MILITARY EQUIPMENT USE POLICY.
A) The City Council has made the following determinations:
1) The military equipment inventoried and presented to the City Council is necessary because there is no reasonable alternative that can achieve the same objective of officer and civilian safety.
2) The proposed military equipment use policy (“Policy”) will safeguard the public’s welfare, safety, civil rights, and civil liberties.
3) The equipment is reasonably cost effective compared to available alternatives that can achieve the same objective of officer and civilian safety (if any).
4) Prior military equipment use complied with the applicable equipment use policy (which included equipment now defined as military equipment) that was in effect at the time, or if prior uses did not comply with the accompanying military equipment use policy, corrective action has been taken to remedy nonconforming uses and ensure future compliance.
B) The Police Department has submitted a proposed Policy to the City Council and has made those documents available on the Police Department’s website for at least 30 days prior to the public hearing concerning the military equipment at issue.
C) The Policy was considered by the City Council as an agenda item in an open session of a regular meeting, noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, at which public comment was permitted.
D) The Policy shall be made publicly available on the Police Department’s website for as long as the military equipment is available for use.
E) The Police Department shall submit an annual military equipment report to the City Council, containing the information required in Government Code Section 7072, and the City Council shall determine whether each type of military equipment identified in that report has complied with the standards for approval set forth in subsection (A)(1) – (4) above.
F) The City Council shall review this ordinance, and vote on whether to renew it, on an annual basis at a regular meeting, in accordance with Government Code Section 7071(e)(2).
G) The City Council approves the use of the Policy and finds that it satisfies the requirements of Government Code Section 7070(d).