Volunteer officers’ experiences in law enforcement work in Malaysia and the USA

Abstract

Volunteer corps serve as vital components of law enforcement agencies worldwide, significantly contributing to community safety and well-being. This study probes the experiences of police volunteers from Malaysia and the United States of America serving as sworn officers vested with a defined sphere of legal policing authority. A rich, descriptive qualitative approach underpinned our exploration, with semi-structured interviews conducted with 18 volunteer officers – nine from each country. Three salient themes were generated: rewarding, challenging, and empowering. This study unveils a blend of shared and unique experiences in law enforcement work among volunteer officers across the two countries, shedding light on the transformative personal impact of volunteer policing. Unearthing a seldom explored dimension of volunteer law enforcement, this study offers a novel, comparative insight into the experiences of volunteer police officers. It thereby provides valuable input on an international scale to enhance our understanding of this crucial aspect of community safety.