A force of reserve peace officers is hereby established. A reserve peace officer is a volunteer, non-regular, sworn member of the Police Department who will serve with or without compensation and has regular police powers while functioning as the Police Department’s representative, and will participate on a regular basis in the agency’s activities, including those of crime prevention and control, preservation of the peace, and enforcement of the law.

   Training for individuals appointed as reserve peace officers shall be provided by instructors in a community college or other facility, including a law enforcement agency, selected by the individual and approved by the law enforcement agency and the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. All standards and training required under Chapter 80D of the Code of Iowa constitute the minimum standards for reserve peace officers. Upon satisfactory completion of training, the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy shall certify the individual as a reserve peace officer. There shall be no exemptions from the personal and training standards provided for in this chapter.

   Reserve peace officers shall serve as peace officers on the orders and at the discretion of the Police Chief. While in the actual performance of official duties, reserve peace officers shall be vested with the same rights, privileges, obligations, and duties as any other peace officer.

   A member of the reserve force shall not carry a weapon in the line of duty until he or she has been approved by the Council and certified by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council. After approval and certification, a reserve peace officer may carry a weapon in the line of duty only when authorized by the Police Chief.

   Reserve peace officers shall act only in a supplementary capacity to the regular force and shall not assume full-time duties of regular peace officers without first complying with all the requirements of regular peace officers.

   Reserve peace officers shall be subordinate to regular peace officers, shall not serve as peace officers unless under the direction of regular peace officers, and shall wear a uniform prescribed by the Police Chief, unless that superior officer designates alternate apparel for use when engaged in assignments involving special investigations, civil process, court duties, jail duties, and the handling of mental patients. The reserve peace officers shall not wear an insignia of rank.

   There shall be no reduction of the authorized size of the regular law enforcement department of the City because of the establishment or utilization of reserve peace officers.

   While performing official duties, each reserve peace officer shall be considered an employee of the City and shall be paid a minimum of $1.00 per year. The Council may provide additional monetary assistance for the purchase and maintenance of uniforms and equipment used by reserve peace officers.

   Hospital and medical assistance and benefits, as provided in Chapter 85 of the Code of Iowa, shall be provided by the Council to members of the reserve force who sustain injury in the course of performing official duties.

   Liability and false arrest insurance shall be provided by the City to members of the reserve force while performing official duties in the same manner as for regular peace officers.

   This chapter shall not be construed to authorize or permit a reserve peace officer to become eligible for participation in a pension fund or retirement system created by the laws of the State and of which regular peace officers may become members.