Citing liability concerns, fewer departments are using auxiliary police. However, the number of certified auxiliary officers has hovered around 900 since 2011. Most police chiefs surveyed say they use auxiliary police for crowd control and safety details during major events such as parades or natural disasters. The law requires their uniforms to appear “different and distinct” from regular police.
|
Year
|
Departments
|
Auxiliary officers
|
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 100 | 939 |
| 2012 | 93 | 900 |
| 2013 | 98 | 946 |
| 2014 | 92 | 944 |
| 2015 | 91 | 954 |
| 2016 | 83 | 872 |
| 2017 | 79 | 899 |
| 2018* | 77 | 985 |