General Overview:

The Sheriff’s Reserve Unit (SRU) is a volunteer unit, comprised of up to fifteen (15) Reserve Deputies who are fully uniformed sworn deputies under the authority and appointment of the Cass County Sheriff. A Reserve Deputy volunteers professional and special functions that augment licensed deputies within the agency.    

Reserve Deputies are not eligible for monetary compensation for the volunteer hours they provide to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.  Being a Reserve Deputy has a certain amount of prestige resulting from the strict requirements and the long and thorough background and training regimen.

After successful completion of the Reserve Peace Officer Training Course, while on duty, a Reserve Deputy has the same authority as a licensed Peace Officer, including performing law enforcement functions and having the authority to arrest on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office. A Reserve Deputy may not exercise Reserve Peace Officer functions while off duty. While on duty, a Reserve Deputy is paired up alongside and under constant observance of a full-time deputy.

As with all Law Enforcement work, there will be reports and paperwork to complete if enforcement action is taken.  There is also the possibility of testifying in court.

Reserve Deputies are considered at-will employees and may be dismissed at the discretion of the Sheriff, with or without cause.

Training Requirements:

First-year recruits will be required to attend a seventy-two (72) hour Reserve Training curriculum approved and governed by the North Dakota Peace Officers Standards and Training (ND POST) Board.  At the conclusion of the training, the recruit must successfully pass the Reserve Peace Officer Exam. 

After obtaining a Reserve Peace Officer license, every Reserve Deputy is required to meet the continuing education requirements.  Within a three (3) year period, every Reserve Deputy must complete (30) additional hours of ND POST-approved training. 

All training is at no cost to the Reserve Deputy, and the training takes place in-house.  Training typically takes place on weekday evenings between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. 

Special Event Participation Requirements:

Reserve Deputies are expected to work at least one (1) event per month over the course of the calendar year, as well as attend preplanned training and meetings that occur throughout the year. Communication with deputies is usually through department email, phone, and meetings.  Lack of participation may result in suspension or termination from the SRU program.

This is a major commitment, especially on weekends and weekday evenings. If you find that you are too busy in your personal life on your weekends or weekday evenings, then the SRU may not be for you.

Career Opportunities:

If you are looking to get a great start to a Law Enforcement career, our Sheriff Reserve Unit may be for you.  Being a current or former Reserve Deputy looks great on a resume.  Oftentimes, when a Reserve Deputy applies elsewhere for full-time employment, the hiring agency will call our office inquiring about one of their candidate's tenure and work performance as a Reserve Deputy.  Also, there are career opportunities with our agency within our correctional environment.

Likewise, many of the Reserve Deputies have careers outside of law enforcement and simply wish to be a part of the Sheriff’s Reserve Unit to give back to their community, with no ambitions of working in law enforcement full-time. 

Eligibility Requirements:

Because of the nature of work that a Reserve Deputy will be performing and the sensitivity of the information they will have access to, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office has a very stringent background process.  We need to be sure that anyone who is selected for the SRU is the right person with high moral integrity.  The public would also demand the same.  Below are the eligibility requirements for SRU.

• Be 21 years of age or older.
• Be a high school graduate or possess a GED certificate.
• Applicants must be a citizen of the United States or in resident alien status as determined by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service laws and regulations.
• Possess a valid driver’s license.
• Never been convicted of a felony.
• Never been convicted of a misdemeanor involving perjury, false statements, or domestic violence.
• Never been discharged from any of the military armed forces under dishonorable discharge or undesirable conditions.
• May not be currently employed as a private security guard or private investigator.

Selection of new members to the Sheriff’s Reserve Unit will be based on the Cass County Sheriff’s Office hiring standards to include the following:

• Psychological Examination
• Physical Examination 
• Drug Screening
• Complete set of fingerprints
• Credit History Check
• Polygraph
• Interview process
• Final acceptance to the Sheriff’s Reserve Unit is contingent upon the results of the background investigation and the interview process.

A conflict of interest, as ruled by the North Dakota Attorney General or Cass County Sheriff, shall be grounds for termination or non-acceptance of the applicant. Unfortunately, working as a security guard, private investigator, the sale of alcohol, or a similar position is considered a conflict of interest, and you are not eligible to apply as long as you hold that position.