Three retired Dartmouth police officers are coming out of retirement to rejoin the force.

Victor Porto, Allen Shaw, and Michael Gill were officially sworn in on July 21 as “special police officers.” Porto and Shaw retired from the Dartmouth Police Department in 2014, and Gill retired earlier this year.

Special police officers, according to Dartmouth Police Chief Robert Szala, are former Dartmouth police officers who will work for the department on a part-time basis. In order to become a special police officer in Dartmouth, applicants must have retired from the department in good standing, and must be up to date on all of the certifications and training classes that full-time police officers are required to take. Special officers carry with them full police powers.

Dartmouth’s special police officers will mainly work details and conduct any work that arises as a direct result of those details, said Szala. Hiring retired officers provides the department with a valuable asset, said Szala.

“To have a pool of officers who know the streets and have worked in the community, and being able to tap into those resources to provide support on a part-time basis, it’s a benefit, especially on details,” Szala said.