A Herald Q&A with Bob Oliva, Chief, Malverne Police Reserve

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Bob Oliva was recently made chief of the Malverne Police Reserve, which was founded in 1958 to act as additional eyes and ears for the Malverne Police Department.

Police Reserve officers patrol the village in four marked patrol cars each weekend. Other officers supplement the patrol by using bicycles to patrol areas where a vehicle presence isn’t practical.

The reserve also functions as security for the village’s court sessions, and helps in many capacities during special events.

Oliva, who was sworn into his new position on June 1, took the top spot after Charles Kaufman, who held the position for 21 years, began preparing for a new life in the South Carolina sun.

The Herald spoke to Oliva about his background, why he joined the reserve, and what it takes to become a reserve member.

Q: How long have you been a member of the Malverne Police Reserve?

A: Twenty-four years.

Q: What’s your history in Malverne?

A: I’ve been living in the village for 25 years. My wife is a lifelong resident. My father-in-law has been in the village since 1946. I’m from Brooklyn.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: I’m an operations manager for Bloomingdales. I worked on the construction for the visuals in the Manhattan 59th Street store.

Q: What drew you to the Police Reserve?

A: Well, I was a member of the [New York City] Auxiliary Police for 12 years, and a commanding officer of the Harbor Unit on Randall’s Island. When I moved to Malverne, I was still there, volunteering there for a year, and then resigned. My wife, Lisa, suggested I join the reserve here because the traveling became too much.

I always liked law enforcement. I was going to take the police test back in the ’70s, but a lot of guys were getting laid off and I was working with A&S and making good money. Soon after, I noticed the auxiliary and started getting involved in that. Today, my youngest son, Matthew, is also in the Malverne Police Reserve and the Malverne Fire Department. I have two boys, Michael, 30, and Matt, 23.

Q: What are the responsibilities of the Police Reserve in Malverne?

A: We do patrols on the weekends, which helps deter crime. We have two to three cars on patrol from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. We handle all court sessions, and have three people at every court. They function as security at these sessions. Those nights typically run from 6:30 to 10 p.m.

We also do all special events in the village, like the lighting, the Memorial Day parade, the concerts and such. We put out a monthly schedule so we know who’s on patrol and when, and we manage to cover every weekend.

Q: What kind of training do potential volunteers go through before becoming members?

A: Once volunteers fill out an application on our website, we turn it over the Police Department. They then give it to a detective, who does a background check. Once the chief approves it, it’ll come back to the reserve and we assign someone for training. New members go through three to four months’ worth of in-house training. We currently have 18 members, and can always use more.

Malverne residents 21 or older who would like to volunteer for the Police Reserves can obtain additional information by calling (516) 887-9113.