INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Police departments in parts of Indiana are using reserve officers or volunteers who work with full police powers but without pay.

Indiana law requires that reserve officers complete 40 hours of basic training and 24 hours of continuing in-service training yearly. Full-time paid officers must finish 600 hours of training by the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in addition to basic training and yearly in-service training.

Reserve officers are used by a number of police departments in central Indiana, including Lawrence and Greenwood, and smaller communities rely on them more. Some, such as Southport, choose to put reserve officers through additional training.

Mike Becar, executive director of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training, tells The Indianapolis Star that standards for volunteer officers vary widely by state.