More people are moving to Wake County, which means more cars on the road, which in turn increases the risk of accidents.

The next time you have a minor accident, it may not be the police officer who answers the phone.

Raleigh Police have hired five civilians to help respond to an accident more quickly.

According to Sergeant Edward Reeves of the Raleigh Police Department, they are often the first on the scene of an accident, helping to reduce police response time.

Dein Schindler, a Navy veteran and one of the civilian traffic investigators, said he got involved because he wanted to help others and explore whether he wanted to get into police work.

“I love everything about it,” he said. According to RPD, the job pays between $40,000 and $61,000 a year.

The unit deals exclusively with accidents without injuries or fatalities and had a heavy workload to deal with: last month it responded to 358 accidents.

“I have to make sure everyone is OK. (Then) I listen to the stories of both parties and look at the evidence on the ground,” Schindler said.

“It’s no different than a police officer asking, ‘Hey, is everyone OK?’ or asking for your driver’s license and vehicle registration and asking what happened,” Reeves said.

Since July 1, a civilian investigator has responded to nearly 25% of the calls Raleigh police have received about accidents. According to police, investigators across Raleigh sometimes field as many as eight calls a day.

“Civilians sometimes wait for hours and we’re there in 15 minutes,” Schindler said. “Sometimes it’s people’s worst days when they’re trying to get to work or get food. I think it’s really nice when they don’t have to wait that long.”

Reeves said the investigators will complete two weeks of training at the academy, followed by four weeks of field training, in accordance with North Carolina state requirements. So far, the reception of the investigators has been positive, police said.

“The citizens think the idea is very good,” he said.

Given the volume of calls the RPD receives regarding accidents, the police department is looking to hire at least three more investigators. You can apply for the position and other open positions with the City of Raleigh here.