Chief Homer proposed a change in shifts for his police department to the Monroe City Council last week. Council voted to approve at the first reading; there will be a second reading for final decision on January 24th.
Here is his proposal.
Starting March 1st, we are going to start rotating shifts again. Fifty percent of the department thinks this is great; the other fifty percent are not real happy about it. They liked their frozen shifts. It enabled them to do some family things. Maybe even assisted them with their education.
"Half the department is happy, the other half is not." - Monroe Police Chief, Gregory C. Homer
Monroe Police are presently on a 6 and 2 schedule, work 6 days, get 2 days off. Every 5 weeks the employee has a third day off, two weeks in a row. The chief is proposing to go to a 4 and 2 schedule where the officer will work 8.5-hr days for four days to get two days off.
With an 8.5-hr day, the department has a half hour overlap which may help to reduce OT costs. The Chief also discusses how sick time is used and how this change may reduce sick days.
With these cost reductions the final analysis will show that it is cost neutral according to Chief Homer.
