09/04/2026
Hopefully everyone was able to attend and enjoy the recent celebration of the Town of Speedway's 100th Anniversary! We took a short hiatus from highlighting the department's history, but we are back in action this month!
This month we would like to highlight our Reserve Division and the service to the town these fine men and women have provided over many decades.
For those who aren't aware, many police departments have volunteer police officers who give of their time and talents to their community. These officers undergo state-mandated training before completing in-house field training with established officers of the department. After the completion of training, these officers serve their community alongside the full-time officers. As you can imagine, volunteering in this way is a very rare and noble thing that we greatly appreciate! The Speedway Police Department's Reserve Division has ranged from just a few officers up to several dozen over the past decades.
I could not find an exact date for the first reserve officers, but it appears the first rules and regulations for this division was established in 1966. These rules identified expectations such as work hours each month, assignments, special events, and other important details. Further additions to the reserve division would come in September of 1972 when it was decided to add a rank system to the reserve division.
One particularly interesting point of SPD history was "The Great Patch Debate" of 1970. At a meeting on January 26, 1970, a committee was formed to discuss adding a small patch that said "reserve" under the department shoulder patches worn by officers. The intention of this added identification was not to downgrade the Reserve Division in any way, but it was believed that "it was the public's right to know who they are dealing with." Members of the reserve division felt differently, believing it unnecessarily set them apart from the full-time members. The issue came to a head on July 1, 1970 when the reserve officers were ordered to wear the patch or face the suspension of their police powers. In the end, several officers resigned over the issue, with some of them returning after the patch idea was finally tossed. Today, the Reserve Division wears the same uniform and operates the same way as the full-time officers.
Today, the Speedway Police Department's Reserve Division is down to just a few members as several longtime officers have recently retired after decades of service. As you can imagine, volunteering thousands of hours over the span of a career is quite an accomplishment and one we respect greatly. Replacing these experienced and dedicated officers obviously presents quite a challenge. If you are interested in serving your community in this way, reach out to us for further information!