For the love of the badge, call it what you want. More than 120 TPD officers were laid off a little more than a week ago, and now more than half of those officers are playing the role of reserve officer. Matt Rose was a Tulsa Police Officer, by mid December he knew he was one of the officers on the chopping block. Now, after being laid off Rose is back as a reserve.
" Number one is to protect the citizens of Tulsa, and that's why we took the oath to begin with as full time officers. That's why we took the oath as a reserve.," Reserve Officer Matt Rose said.
What does a reserve mean ? These new reserves are required to work 20 hours a month. They will not be the primary call takers, but they will back other officers on priority calls such as domestic assault, homicide, burglary, and an armed robbery. But these differences in official officer and reserve officer are not enough to sway Rose from his dream job.
" A lot of people say we like to drive fast, carry guns and arrest people, and that's still what we like to do we just do it in a different capacity now," Rose said.
TPD Reserve Officers are able to keep their credentials current such as classes and training while as a reserve.
