When the clock struck midnight and thousands rang in the new year in metro Detroit on Sunday night, Jason Harms could have been celebrating with family and friends.

But instead, the 33-year-old ushered in 2007, well, ushering. He was in downtown Mt. Clemens directing foot and vehicle traffic.

"We usually guide traffic to the appropriate route and make sure we're visible to the public in case they have any questions," said Harms, a reserve deputy for the Macomb County Sheriff's Office.

Across metro Detroit, law enforcement leaders in counties and municipalities use reserve or auxiliary police to help out with crowd and traffic control at sporting events, concerts and even in daily activities such as issuing tickets and writing police reports.

But while law enforcement budgets across metro Detroit have been cut and police vacancies haven't been filled, reserve officers have also seen their numbers dwindle statewide, though at least one department -- the Oakland County Sheriff's Office -- has plans to slightly increase its force.

Michigan has about 2,000 reserve officers, said Henry Dodge, executive director of the Police Reserve Officers Association of Michigan.

Dodge said in the 60s, 70s and 80s, the Detroit Police Department had nearly 2,000 reserve officers, but he said numbers have decreased because the positions are often volunteer-only and officers, in some instances, have to pay for their own training.

"With the way the economy is, people don't have the time to volunteer," Dodge said.

But for some reserves, like Harms, it's the experience that keeps him coming back.

"I like people, and this has been a rewarding experience," said Harms, who logged 800 volunteer hours in 2006, primarily as a marine safety officer along Lake St. Clair. His regular job is working as a lead technician at L'Anse Creuse Public Schools.

Cities including Detroit, Livonia, Eastpointe, Milford and Lake Orion use reserve or auxiliary police officers. In many instances, the officers carry weapons and make arrests with the help of sworn police officers.

In the three county sheriff's offices in metro Detroit, reserve deputies work for free and are required to serve a minimum number of hours every year.

In Macomb County, Sheriff Mark Hackel said reserves put in 24,000 hours during the 2005-06 fiscal year and said the hours worked were worth about $1.2 million to his office.

"I think after 9/11, we recognized what reserves can do on the home front. They are a force multiplier and are not there to take the jobs of officers," Hackel said.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said his sheriff's office has 106 volunteer reserves, and the county has plans to sign up a few more when they begin reserve officer training next month. He said many volunteers own businesses or work for the automotive industry or in education. Reserves in Oakland County worked more than 23,000 hours in 2005, the most recent year available.

Clarkston resident Rico Vanchina works in marketing, but has been a volunteer reserve officer for 17 years. He said that as a boy, he thought about one day becoming an officer and when he saw a story about the need for reserves he thought he'd try it out.

"We assist the deputies so they can go out there and do police work," said Vanchina, who works as a reserve commander in Oakland County.

But not all of the reserve work is done for free.

In Livonia, reserves are paid $10 an hour and are considered civil service workers. The department has about 40 reserve officers.

And though reserve officers' numbers are smaller and community policing has been cut from many departments' budgets, Dodge, who has been a reserve officer in Detroit for 40 years, said there will always be a need for reserves. "In most cases, the reserves do things that certified officers don't want to do, or don't have the time to do," he said. "We're just there to lend a hand."

Contact STAN DONALDSON at 248-351-3691