Schedule Change Announced For Baltimore Police Officers
BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ)—Baltimore Police announce they're changing the way they fight crime in the city by changing the schedules of officers on patrol.
Derek Valcourt has more on the changes and why police say it'll work.
For decades Baltimore Police officers have patrolled the streets in eight hour shifts-five days a week.
Now, the mayor and Police Commissioner Anthony Batts announce effective this Sunday, city patrol officers will instead work 10 hour shifts four days a week.
"Why that's significant is the ten hour shifts afford us the ability to overlap shifts and put more resources on the streets at the times we need those resources," said Police Commissioner Anthony Batts.
Those times were based on data about when police get the most calls for service.
Commissioner Batts says a pilot test program already resulted in nearly a 21 percent decrease in the amount of overtime the department pays.
Until now, the department always had the same number of patrol officers working the morning shift, the afternoon shift, and at night.
"As you can imagine we are a little busier on a Friday night in July than we are on Tuesday nights in January," said Batts.
The changes came as part of months of contract negotiations with the police union which says the new contract and schedule change will help improve morale.
"As well as allowing our personnel to spend extra time with their families, and everybody knows a happy cop is a productive cop," said FOP President Gene Ryan.
The Commissioner says the changes will also allow more time for officers to walk their beats and attend community meetings.
The schedule changes will only affect patrol officers.
Police detectives will still be working 8 hour shifts-five days a week.
The schedule change has also earned the support of the city's Community Relations Council.
Other Local News: