Reserve, auxiliary, part-time and temporary deputy sheriff means any person employed by the county whose primary responsibility is to support the sheriff in preventing and detecting crime, apprehending offenders, and assisting in the prosecution of offenders for appropriate remuneration in measure with specifically assigned duties or job description.  These deputies may not work more than 20 hours per week for a total of not more than 100 hours per month. Any deputy who works in excess of the prescribed maximum hours must be reclassified to full-time status and must meet all the requirements for standards and training as mandated under the law and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission rules. In any situation where a deputy is assigned temporarily for a period of one month or less to work more than 20 hours per week for a total of not more than 100 hours per month, the deputy does not need to be reclassified to full-time status. T.C.A. § 38-8-101(2); Rules of the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, Rule 1110-8-.01.

Minimum Qualifications

After January 1, 1989, any person employed or used as a reserve, auxiliary, part-time or temporary deputy sheriff shall have the same minimum qualifications as a full-time deputy sheriff. T.C.A. § 38-8-106; Rules of the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, Rule 1110-8-.02.

Reserve, auxiliary, part-time or temporary deputy sheriffs who were employed prior to January 1, 1989, and have had continuous service are exempt from the pre-employment requirements as long as they remain on active service with the sheriff’s office that originally employed them. Any reserve, auxiliary, part-time or temporary deputy sheriff who has a break in service of any length whatsoever is required to meet the pre-employment and training standards. Rules of the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, Rule 1110-8-.02..

The minimum standards set forth in T.C.A. § 38-8-106 and in Rule 1110-8-.02 are mandatory and are binding upon the county.  Any person who appoints an applicant who, to the knowledge of the appointor, fails to meet the minimum standards as set forth in T.C.A. § 38-8-106 and in Rule 1110-8-.02, and any person who signs the warrant or check for payment of the salary of a person who, to the knowledge of the signer, fails to meet the qualifications as a reserve, auxiliary, part-time or temporary deputy sheriff as provided in T.C.A. § 38-8-106 and in Rule 1110-8-.02, commits a Class A misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000. T.C.A. § 38-8-105(a) and (b). Nothing in Title 38, Chapter 8, precludes an employing agency from establishing qualifications and standards for hiring and training reserve, auxiliary, part-time or temporary deputy sheriffs that exceed those set by the POST Commission. T.C.A. § 38-8-109.

Training Requirements

After January 1, 1989, any person newly employed or used as a reserve, auxiliary, part-time or temporary deputy sheriff must receive 80 hours of training in whatever duties they are required by the sheriff’s office to perform. This training must be accomplished during the first calendar year of employment. During this initial period, prior to receiving 80 hours of training, the part-time/temporary/reserve/auxiliary law enforcement officer must be paired with a field training officer or other certified officer. Rules of the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, Rule 1110-8-.03.

Oath

Reserve, auxiliary, part-time and temporary deputy sheriffs must take the same oaths as the sheriff, which are certified, filed, and endorsed in the same manner as the sheriff’s. T.C.A. § 8-18-112. Oaths are covered under the General Information tab of the County Offices topic.

Bond

There is no general law requirement that reserve, auxiliary, part-time or temporary deputy sheriffs be bonded. However, in 2013, the Legislature amended T.C.A. § 8-19-101 to require county governments to obtain and maintain blanket surety bond coverage for all county employees not covered by individual bonds referenced elsewhere in statute. The minimum amount of such blanket bonds is one hundred fifty thousand dollars. T.C.A. § 8-19-101(e).

In-Service Training Requirements

After the initial training has been completed, all reserve, auxiliary, part-time and temporary deputy sheriffs are required to attend 40 hours of in-service training each calendar year. This training may be spread over a 12-month period, but must be completed during the calendar year.  Rules of the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, Rule 1110-8-.04.