Last Saturday the Eden Prairie Reserve Unit helped conduct a traffic safety school in conjunction with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office for 60 volunteers and paid staff from multiple metro agencies on how to safely direct traffic.

Our Reserve Unit has provided nearly all the trainers for this event for more than 30 years and our instructors have more than 100 years combined experience.

During the training, students move through different traffic scenarios where they direct traffic under the guidance of instructors. Half of the students acted as drivers, while the other half directed the traffic; then they switched. Students were also taught how to handle public safety vehicles moving through their intersection during an emergency.

The EPPD is fortunate to work with this group of committed volunteers who assist our sworn officers by performing community service tasks and non-criminal police functions. Reserve officers also assist in natural disasters and other emergencies that require additional personnel.

In 2025, the Reserve Unit put in 2,659 volunteer hours, which is the equivalent of more than one full-time employee. We are grateful to the Reserves for all of the work they do to keep our community safe.

The Reserve Unit is currently recruiting new members. If you are interested in joining this dedicated group of volunteers, please fill out the application on the Reserve Unit webpage.