The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office Reserve Unit has been in existence for about thirty years. It has a long history of dedicated service to the department and to the community as a whole. After Sheriff Sexton took office in 1991, the reserves were revamped and expanded. With the raising of the training and acceptance standards put in place by the Sheriff, the unit has become one of the best in the Alabama. The unit is currently coordinated by Doug Latham.  

The reserve deputies are unpaid and are in true service to the community, not only by the giving of their time but also their varied fields of expertise. Some of the primary occupations of the deputies in the unit are electronics specialist, mechanic, welder, psychiatrist, business managers, nurse, media specialist, paramedic, and retired military. Recently, a reserve with extensive information systems experience has designed the new radio system for the office.

All members with arrest powers are required to complete the Law Enforcement Academy and meet Alabama Peace Officers Standards And Training (APOST) requirements.They also must attend all in-service training given to the regular deputies. Monthly meetings are held and there are minimum hours required to work. The program clearly requires quite a commitment. They are truly an integral part of the organization. The main divisions of the reserves follow.

To print a Reserve Deputy Application (in PDF format) click HERE.

Patrol Auxiliary

This is the largest and most frequently called upon section of the reserves. These 8 deputies work with the patrol division in carrying out the everyday duties of the department. This often gives the shift commander the only opportunity to have two-deputy patrol units to more safely handle details. Duties often include traffic law enforcement, warrant service, calls for service, prisoner security and transport, working special public events. These deputies have full sworn authority to enforce the laws of the state as the full time deputies.

Often members are called on to work in other areas such as water patrol and one member provides medical support to the tactical team. During recent snow storms the reserves were called upon to operate the Snow Patrol which helps keep the county running. During the storms they helped critical personnel get to work and even helped deliver food for Meals-on-Wheels.

The mounted unit is a horse mounted group of reserve deputies. This group is coordinated by Reserve Deputy Terry Vaughn. This team was conceived in 1992 as the Sheriff's Posse' and was split in 1993 into two units, the Mounted Unit and the Search  and Rescue Unit. This nine person Mounted unit has participated in many functions. These events included one Presidential Inauguration Parade, Mobile Mardi Gras and representing the people of Tuscaloosa County with pride. While not participating in a parade, the unit routinely works football games and other special events. The mounted unit is especially suited to controlling large crowds of people. Members train their horses to work with crowds by conditioning. The horses are routinely subjected to many noises and sites familiarize them with a volatile, noisy working atmosphere, resulting in higher tolerances of their environment. Mounted unit members are sworn deputies and required to meet APOST requirements. The horses and most of the equipment are owned and maintained by the members of the respective units.

Search and Rescue Unit

When some one or something is lost in the rural areas of the county, the specialist are brought in. This team of rescue workers consist of reserves trained in the utilization horses and other all terrain vehicles in rough terrain. They are able to effectively cover a large area much quicker than the foot soldier. The unit may assist in the search for evidence, a downed aircraft, or a lost person. In each of these situations, time is often crucial. The unit currently has 28 members on call. These members are from many areas of the community, providing unsurpassable knowledge about the terrain of Tuscaloosa County. Members are not required to meet APOST certifications.

Sheriff Sexton would like to publicly state his appreciation for the great job that the reserves do.  The office would not function the same without their help!

Information

Further information about the program or about becoming a reserve, can be obtained from Cpl. Andy Norris.