Reserve Phoenix police officers receive 4 new donated vehicles

PHOENIX — Volunteers part of the Phoenix Police Department’s Reserve Division will have some new wheels to patrol the streets in after receiving four new vehicles from the Phoenix Police Reserve Foundation.

Three new Chevrolet Tahoe SUV’s and one specially wrapped Chevrolet Camaro coupe were donated by the foundation’s board of directors in partnership with Courtesy Chevrolet, according to a press release on Friday.

“Reserve police officers are vital to the protection of our community and Courtesy Chevrolet is honored to help provide these vital crime-fighting tools to the Police Reserve Foundation,” Courtesy Chevrolet dealer principal Scott Gruwell said.

The donation was part of the annual award ceremony Friday night at Chase Field recognizing members of the Reserve Division, which is comprised of more than 120 sworn reserve volunteer police officers independently performing the same duties as full-time career police officers.

Congratulations to all of the @PhxPDReserve Officers and thank you for your amazing dedication to our community. pic.twitter.com/9T83jLdeFG

— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) November 13, 2020

“They are daytime professionals, they are doctors, lawyers, bankers, stockbrokers who volunteer to then go to the police academy,” Scott Finical, assistant police chief, said in a video posted to the Phoenix Police Department’s Facebook page covering the event.

Finical, who has been a reserve police officer for 36 years, says reserve police officers go through the same police academy as the career officers.

“The training is the same because the job that they do on the street is the same,” Finical said.

Derrick Hall, president & CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is president of the foundation’s board of directors made up of civic and business leaders within the community.

“The Phoenix Police Reserve officers are an integral component of the city’s policing plan and work alongside the Phoenix Police Department to ensure the safety of the Phoenix residents,” Hall said in the release.

“We’re incredibly grateful for their contributions to the community and wanted to ensure they’re not only receiving the recognition they deserve but also have the equipment needed to serve.”

Volunteer reserve police officers donated more than 39,000 hours of service to the community in 2019, according to the release, with each reserve officer required to volunteer 240 hours each year in addition to attending various meetings, events and training.

It is estimated the efforts of the reserve police officers provided a value to the community of more than $3.1 million in 2019.

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