COAL GROVE — The Coal Grove Village Council unanimously passed a motion to establish an auxiliary police division at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Chief Eric Spurlock proposed the idea to the village council in August.

“I think it’s going to be of benefit to the village,” said Spurlock. “It’ll help my officers out.”

Spurlock said that auxiliary officers would be volunteers who are in the police academy at the Collins Career Center. Each auxiliary officer would work 16 hours a month and have a different uniform to distinguish them from the other officers.

“It puts two people in a cruiser,” said Spurlock. “It gives an extra set of eyes. They get to learn out in the car what they can’t teach in a classroom.”

“I think it’s a good idea, Mayor Larry McDaniel said. It’s good experience and also helps out the police force. It gives the new guys on-the-job training.”

Since the motion passed at the village level, the ordinance will be sent to the Attorney General’s Office for approval. Spurlock said he feels confident that it will be approved at that level.

The ordinance does not give the auxiliary officers the authority to make arrests.

“It gives full-time police an extra hand,” said Mayor McDaniel.