This week the Phoenix Police Department graduated 14 Police Assistants who will play a vital role in helping our sworn and professional staff better do their jobs.  These Police Assistants will serve the department in various roles where non-sworn members can be of assistance. For example, these employees can respond to, and take reports for calls involving criminal damage, non-injury accidents and abandoned vehicles. Sometimes Police Assistants will be embedded directly into a squad and perform duties alongside police officers as they handle more challenging calls. The first difference you notice with a Police Assistant in the City of Phoenix is their light blue uniform. The uniform stands out from the dark blue uniform our sworn officers wear on the street. Police Assistants do not carry a firearm which allows them to be hired at the age of 18, two and a half years before the required age for joining the academy based on Arizona statute. Police Assistants go through a rigorous seven-week training program at the Phoenix Regional Police Academy, which compares to the six-month program required for sworn officers. The number of Police Assistants and their role is increasing as the Department works to close the gap of a hiring shortage. There are currently around 100 Police Assistants at Phoenix PD and the hope is to increase class size next year. The long-term goal of this program is to create a pipeline for members of our community to join the department and eventually work their way into a sworn position, though many have enjoyed a successful career as a Police Assistant only. In this Phoenix 5-0 Show episode, Ryan Cody and Lt. Vince Lewis tell you more about the program and let you will hear from Assistant Chief Bryan Chapman and Police Assistant Michael Downing.