Insurance a Concern for Small Town Volunteer Police Force

October 18, 2005

Adair Village, Ore., this small city near Corvallis, Ore., is considering what may be the first all-volunteer police force in Oregon.

Many towns have all-volunteer fire departments. But the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, the state’s law enforcement accreditation agency, said there has never been an all-volunteer police department.

Without a model to follow, Adair Village faces questions about how to provide insurance and certification for officers, and whether such a department is even possible.

“We are deeply concerned about liability,” said Jim Minard, city administrator.

Several residents, including six with police experience, are willing to patrol their community for free. The Adair Village City Council will talk it over at a meeting this week, along with a possible contract for patrol services from the Benton County sheriff’s office.

Minard estimated that either an hourly contract with the sheriff’s office or an all-volunteer police force would cost about $10,000 to $12,500 per year.

One way for the city to sidestep concerns of the state would be to hire a paid police chief to supervise reserves, but that would cost the city about $75,000 per year, Minard said.