On Saturday, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said thousands of volunteer auxiliary officers will slowly start hitting the streets in the coming days.

Auxiliary officers are a volunteer-based reserve police force that exists within a subdivision of the Patrol Services Bureau.

Related Stories

• LIVE UPDATES: Coronavirus in New York City
• LIVES LOST: Remembering Victims of the Coronavirus
• What to Do If You Test Positive for COVID-19
• CDC Coronavirus Page
• WHO Coronavirus Page

The NYPD says scores of the auxiliary officers are health care workers and other essential employees, who are serving because they believe so deeply in their civic duty.

That group of volunteers includes Dr. Susana Ho, an emergency room physician with Northwell Health.

"It's been really busy. Before it was busy in the ER, now is really busy in the ICU,” said Dr. Ho. “So I took off my hat to everyone in the ICU who's working really heard to help everyone who's in there right now. And took off my hat to you guys as well. Just being on the frontline.”

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea saluted Dr. Susana Ho this past week for her courageous work both inside and outside the confines of the hospital.

The NYPD has about 5,000 auxiliary officers who were stopped from patrolling because of the pandemic.