The Los Angeles Police Department unveiled a new program Monday to recruit more members of the Jewish community as reserve police officers.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck announced the creation of a new recruitment program for Jewish reserve officers during a press conference on Monday. He was joined by Michoel Bloom, of the South Robertson Council; Ivan Wolkind, an LAPD reserve officer assigned to the Wilshire Division and chief operating officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles; and LAPD Chaplain Sam Newman. (photo courtesy of Ivan Walking)

The announcement was made at a press conference at LAPD headquarters in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, which is spreading information about the program. Reserve officers are trained at the police academy and undergo other specialized training required of full-time police officers, but they are not paid. Reserve officers generally work part-time for the LAPD and are required to work a minimum of 16 hours per month.

Lt. Darnell Davenport, of the LAPD’s Training Division, said the goal is to bolster the department’s ranks and provide an opportunity for people who want to get involved in law enforcement. Reserve officers are a valuable part of the department and perform clerical and administrative duties, patrol and security at special events. The department currently has 385 reserve officers. The goal is to eventually increase the ranks citywide to 2,000 reserve officers., Davenport said.

“There is an opportunity immediately for them to join,” Davenport said. “We want 60 people per [police academy] class.”

Davenport said reserve officers are screened the same way as full-time paid police officers. Prospective reserve officers must undergo background investigations, a polygraph test, and medical and physical fitness evaluations before being accepted into the police academy.

Three different classifications exist for reserve officers. Level III reserve officers – those who work solely at police stations and perform clerical and administrative duties – must undergo 12 weeks of police academy training. Level II and Level I reserve officers patrol neighborhoods and perform all the functions of regular officers, and must undergo 28 weeks of police academy training. Full-time police officers undergo seven months of police academy training.

Sgt. John Martinez, with the LAPD’s Training Division, said the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles approached the department with the idea of a special program for recruiting members of the Jewish community. He said the department tracks officers by ethnicity but not religion, so the number of Jewish officers – both full-time and reserve officers – is undetermined.

Prospective Jewish reserve officers will be assimilated into the regular reserve officer program, so it won’t cost the city any additional money. A new component of the training covers Jewish customs such as not working or using electronic devices on the Sabbath.

Ivan Wolkind, chief operating officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, is spearheading the recruitment project. Wolkind became a Level II LAPD reserve officer in 2014 and is assigned to the Wilshire Division. He regularly patrols neighborhoods and serves as a liaison to the Jewish community.

He said he was inspired to become a reserve officer by former Wilshire Division commanding officer, Capt. Eric Davis. The experience has been rewarding, he added.

“It’s been so fulfilling for me. It’s been a real eye-opener,” Wolkind said. “I divide my time between community outreach programs and driving around with different officers. You see how hard it is to be a cop in Los Angeles and how stretched the department is. I’ve never been out without being inspired by how officers handle situations in the community.”

Wolkind said he recognized the need for a special recruitment program because he is often approached by Jewish neighbors seeking information about the department and his job as a reserve officer. He said the new recruiting program is an ideal way for the department to spread information, because once people become reserve officers they can disseminate information to others.

“We are one of the few communities that is in the gun sights of everyone from Islamic and domestic extremists to neo-Nazis,” Wolkind said. “A lot of people feel extremely vulnerable. I felt the community wasn’t doing enough to control our own security. My response was ‘We need to take responsibility for our own security,’ and the department has recognized this.”

Capt. Howard Leslie, commanding officer from the Wilshire Division, said he supports the new recruitment program for the Jewish community. Wolkind is one of two Jewish reserve officers in the division with a direct connection to the Jewish population.

“We are the largest Orthodox Jewish community this side of Brooklyn. [The new program is] fantastic,” Leslie added. “The idea had been floating around for a long time. Every time we have new officers coming in, we have to explain to them the customs of the Jewish community. This will make it so much easier.”

Davenport said the department will hold a series of recruitment forums. A meeting will be held tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Wilshire Division, 4849 W. Venice Blvd.

Anyone seeking information about the reserve officer program is asked to call the LAPD’s Training Division, Reserve Officer and Volunteer Unit at (310)342-3160, or visit joinlapd.com.