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“Do a good turn daily.”
That Boy Scouts slogan has become a guiding principle for Arnold resident Tom Denn, who volunteers with the Anne Arundel County reserve officer program.
A retired Navy reservist, avionics technician and former scoutmaster for Troop 382 out of Asbury United Methodist Church, Denn was looking for another way to serve the community a few years ago. He learned about the reserve officer program from a friend — or a “blue shirt” as he calls career police officers — who was on the command staff at the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Eastern District on Pasadena Road.
By December 2023, Denn was on the street in his tan reserve officer uniform, directing traffic.
“What surprised me is that the blue shirts, they really like us, really appreciate us, really take care of us,” said Denn, who works as a computer programmer by day and volunteers as a reserve officer at night. “We’re not rent-a-cops.”
Each of Anne Arundel County’s four police districts has a reserve officer program. Volunteers direct traffic, respond to callouts for weather and other emergencies, and support school crossing guard programs. They also ensure pedestrian safety at about 130 community events annually including the Blue Angels flyover, the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce tree lighting, and the Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company’s summer carnival.
According to Reserve Major Alex Mahaffey, Anne Arundel County reserve officers donated 14,977 hours of their time to the police department and their communities in Fiscal Year 2024. During the 2023-2024 school year, reserve officers covered 303 school crossings in Anne Arundel County.
The qualifications are simple: 21 years of age, U.S. citizenship, high school diploma and a valid driver’s license. To get started, interested civilians need to complete an application, pass a background check and participate in an in-person meeting.
Classroom training lasts seven to 10 hours. On-the-job training takes roughly 40 hours and includes shadowing another reserve officer.
“Normally, if someone wants to become a reserve officer, it is a two- or three-month process,” said Reserve Lieutenant Gordon Hankey. “If you want to go faster, we’ll go as fast as you want to go. Slower is OK too.”
Hankey joined the reserve officer program about five years ago after a career in the oil industry. The Severna Park resident now owns a consulting business.
Severna Park resident Allen Keller discovered the reserve officer program following a Navy career that ended in June 2019 when he retired with the rank of master chief petty officer.
“After being in the military, with the camaraderie and structure that the military offered, this seemed to be a good opportunity,” Keller said.
By volunteering as a reserve officer, he can free up police personnel to handle urgent matters.
“The more reserve officers they have, the easier it is; we can give them time out of the heat,” Keller said. “… It’s an arduous duty, but I like going on what we call patrol. If there’s a traffic accident, the (police) officers are able to help people at the scene while reserve officers help with the flow of traffic.”
Katie Dold learned about the program while attending a Community Police Academy meeting in fall 2022.
“I have family in New York who are (with the New York Police Department), so it’s always been close to my heart when things happen with police officers,” Dold said.
She began her on-the-job training in December 2023. She works full-time as a paralegal, but the flexibility of the reserve officer program allowed her to finish training in six months.
During training, Dold stopped traffic and placed cones on a road. She shadowed Hankey as he brought mail to police headquarters. Her favorite part was observing 911 operators and dispatchers.
“You get to see the whole inner workings of the department, which is fascinating,” said Dold, who lives in Arnold.
A mother of three children, Dold had volunteered at church and with her kids’ school activities.
“The officers and the department were very encouraging, so I signed up,” Dold said. “It was very out of the box for me, but my children are all adults and I volunteer at church. I never had something like this where I dug my heels in.”
Eastern District currently has 11 reserve police officers. Volunteers from the four Anne Arundel County police districts — Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western — can support the other regions.
For Denn, volunteering as a reserve officer is an adrenaline rush.
“I like helping people,” Denn said. “We don’t get dispatched; we’re not emergency (personnel). But I can be driving down Route 648 and find a car broken down in the roadway and help that person.”
Denn, Keller and Dold are all somewhat new to the program, but they have found it to be a valuable experience so far.
“For veterans, being a reserve officer is great because of how it aligns with culture and environment,” Keller said. “It gives them a strong sense of identity.”
Reserve officers are asked to volunteer at least 16 hours per month, a commitment that includes two events. The program is flexible, though.
Anne Arundel County provides all the gear: uniforms, boots, flashlights, high-visible clothing or orange vests, ball caps and whistles. Each district has five reserve vehicles and can borrow from other districts.
“If you’re looking for a purpose, if you like your police department, if you would like to be a part of something bigger than yourself, it’s a great opportunity, and you get to work in interesting environments,” Hankey said.
Volunteer applications are available at www.aacounty.org/police-department/volunteer-opportunities/reserve-officer. For more information on becoming a reserve officer with the Anne Arundel County Police Department, email joinaareserveofficers@aacounty.org.
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