They look like cops — and now Michigan is finally paying attention

DETROIT — The Michigan agency in charge of law enforcement licensing has formed a committee to study the issue of unlicensed civilian reserve officers following a Detroit Free Press investigation that exposed a lack of state oversight.

The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards designated the three-member committee at a meeting earlier this month.

The agency has had the authority for nearly two years to set training requirements for reserve officers, who are generally volunteers. The law giving the agency that power went into effect in January 2017.

But officials with the agency previously told the Detroit Free Press that other responsibilities and limited resources had taken precedence.

► Oct. 24:They look like cops, but they're not. And they're all over Michigan.

The issue will be a priority next year, said Chairman Michael Wendling of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, known in law-enforcement circles as MCOLES. He contends that reserve officers have a legitimate role in law enforcement.

"MCOLES would like to see them trained in a way that they can be a safe resource to be used," Wendling said.

Last month, the Free Press reported that Michigan has no state standards for reserve officers, putting it behind other states that have already implemented requirements, such as training  and background checks. 

The investigation also found officials at the agency in charge of licensing did not know how many such civilian officers there were statewide. Using Freedom of Information Act requests, the Free Press tallied about 3,000 unlicensed civilian officers across Michigan. Most are reserves or auxiliary officers, but other civilian officers also were identified, including those on sheriff's posses, mounted patrols and marine units.

The responsibilities of reserve officers vary. Some communities allow them to patrol, sometimes pairing them up with licensed officers. Reserves do not have law-enforcement authority unless they are paired with a licensed officer, officials have said. 

The committee formed by the commission at its Nov. 7 meeting will study issues such as standards and how reserve officers are being used in law enforcement agencies, said Kenneth Grabowski, a commission member on the committee and legislative director for the Police Officers Association of Michigan.

“The newspaper article and the topic was broached by several commissioners, and we decided to take a look at it," he said.

Wendling said it's unclear how long it might take the commission to reach a consensus because commissioners have differing opinions on the issue. The commission is made up of members from all areas of law enforcement, including police management and labor leaders.

"I think everybody has the same goal — to have the most professional law enforcement officer on the street," he said. "But there's a lot of budget concerns amongst small departments and things that have to be taken into consideration."

Follow Gina Kaufman and Jim Schaefer on Twitter: @ReporterGina and @DetroitReporter