this is all you have to do to be a reserve cop. Original Article Why not turn vigilantes into real border agents? Apr. 12, 2005 12:00 AM Federal officials remain frustrated and confused over what to do about the untrained, unwanted Minutemen volunteers patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border, when the solution to the problem is obvious: Hire them. Rather than risk having the vigilantes come into conflict with Border Patrol agents . . . make them Border Patrol agents. Not with a snap of the fingers. Not by presidential decree. But, if the men and women who traveled to Arizona from all over the country really wanted to serve, then a grateful nation should be able to figure out a way to put their generosity and patriotism to good use. And there's already a model to follow. The federal government can do what cities all over Arizona already are doing. Minutemen could become Border Patrol agents in the exact same way that a lawyer named Scott Finical became a police officer and supervisor in the Phoenix Police Department. "We get the exact same training as career officers," said Finical, who heads the department's reserve unit. Reserve police officers in Phoenix and many other Arizona cities are full-fledged cops who have full-time jobs outside the department. They take to the streets as unpaid volunteers and, according to a department spokesman, they are "indispensable." "The course to become a reserve officer involves two semesters of training at Glendale Community College," Finical said. "It amounts to about 720 hours of training. The state requires 585. Candidates spend Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m. in classes. And they'll spend one weekend day doing defensive tactics, driving and firearms. It's identical to all of the state certified programs." Those who can't serve in the military, and who don't want to volunteer at food banks or work for some other charity can find an outlet in law enforcement without being vigilantes. "I've been at it for 21 years," Finical said. "It gives you a great sense of community. I know that, personally, I really feel good when I come home at night." Finical oversees about 30 officers. The city would like to increase the number tenfold. Just about every department in the Valley has reserve officers. I asked Rob Daniels, a spokesman for the Border Patrol, if the federal government has a volunteer program like it. "Not that I know of," he said. "Our academy is 19 weeks long and it is very involved in immigration law. It's very intense. Very tough." Good. It's supposed to be tough. The training for reserve police officers is tough, too. In the end, however, what you end up with is the ideal volunteer, one who is committed and trained. "I don't want there to be a distinguishing feature between our guys and career guys," Phoenix PD's Finical said. "They do what any other officer does. If our guys can't do all of the regular stuff, then they shouldn't be on the street." Likewise, if folks roaming around the southern Arizona desert can't do the regular stuff, then they shouldn't be patrolling the border. Simply telling them that they aren't wanted isn't the answer, however. For one thing, they should be wanted. There are 387 miles of border in Arizona alone. Agents arrested an average of 1,600 undocumented immigrants a day last year. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner called Arizona "the weakest spot on our border." Vigilantes aren't the answer. But just about any police chief will tell you that trained volunteers who are willing to do dangerous and dirty work just might be. Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8978.