Volunteer Police: An Understudied Aspect of Policing

• In Event: Roundtable: Volunteer Police--An Understudied Aspect of Policing

Abstract

There are an estimated 59,000 sworn and 19,000 unsworn volunteer police and deputies in the United States, totaling almost 20% the number of full-time paid officers. There is not a corresponding proportion of academic interest in volunteer policing. This roundtable will bring together academics who study volunteer police with academics who step outside of the classroom and into the streets as volunteer officers, benefitting both their communities and their students. Discussions will focus on the benefits to Community Oriented Policing goals, as well as information about international similarities and differences.

Author

• Adam Dobrin, Florida Atlantic University