North Tonawanda Auxiliary Police

The North Tonawanda Auxiliary Police is an all-volunteer extension of the North Tonawanda Police Department. Each auxiliary officer is required to attend the Basic Peace Officer Academy and participate in several training ride-alongs with senior auxiliary officers after graduation. They are required to meet their duty requirements of two patrols each month and they also participate in numerous community events, though their main function is to work special events.

The North Tonawanda Auxiliary Police Department is designed to assist the North Tonawanda Police Department. While on patrol, training, or special assignment, any violation of the law or suspicious acts that are observed are quickly reported to dispatch, who in turn, notifies the North Tonawanda Police Department to respond and investigate. Though the auxiliary officers do not physically engage in police-related incidents, they are often the eyes and ears of our city and play a vital role in discovering and reporting situations that are turned over to our road patrol.

An invaluable part that is played by our auxiliary force is traffic control. Oftentimes, police officers do not have the immediate manpower for efficient traffic control at the scene of accidents, road closures, or man-made or natural disasters. Our auxiliary officers are highly trained and readily available to direct traffic and ease the workload on our police officers in these situations.

While on duty, our auxiliary officers are responsible for checking public and commercial buildings and schools to ensure they are secure after hours. There have been several times that our auxiliary officers have come upon an open door to a business when the building is supposed to be locked up for night. In instances like these, police officers respond, check the building for possible intruders, and notify the business owner or keyholder of the property to secure it properly.

Our auxiliary force patrols our parks, making sure all is in order and report any problems such as vandalism or people in the park after hours. They also report defective equipment throughout our city to the proper departments, such as streetlights that are out.

Our auxiliary police perform an often-thankless job for our city on a completely volunteer basis. Their regular duties and presence contribute to the safety of our residents and eases the burden on the police department when emergency situations arise.