The Cleveland County Reserve Division is a vital asset to the department. They work and police activities that deputies cannot do because of their duties in the field.

The Council on Law Enforcement, Education and Training certifies all of the reserves. They are allowed to conduct their own academies and have qualified instructors in house to teach C.L.E.E.T. requirements. When they start a new academy, they notify surrounding counties so ther counties can send people to Cleveland County, and vice versa. The course is 160 hours.

The Reserves work a number of activities for schools, churches and civic organizations. They fingerprint children and provide security and crowd control at Oklahoma football games, also school programs, and civic fund raising carnivals. They assist Norman, Noble and Lexington P.D.'s with parades and festivals. They have a meeting once a month where Captain Lewis advises them of the activites they will be working. Norman is the county seat, so they also work all elections.

The reserves have good relations will full line deputies. Cleveland County started an F.T.O. program approximately four years ago. The reserves ride with a deputy FTO through phases of training. They are tested and evaluated after the fourth phase. The shift sergeant will allow them to work alone. There are four or five who can pull an eight hour shift.

The reserves worked the largest disaster in our area, the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. We notified all the reserves we could, they left their jobs and reported along with many full time deputies to include Sheriff Beggs and Undersheriff Thomason.

We are blessed at the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office in that both the Sheriff and Undersheriff support the reserves and give them recognition.