HPD's new schedule shows good results
By GAYLE WEBER
The move to 12-hour work shifts for the Hays Police Department is doing everything it was supposed to in its first month, according to the police chief.
Patrol officers switched to the longer working day Feb. 7, giving them every other weekend off and potentially reducing overtime costs for the department.
"We changed that for several reasons, primarily for morale purposes," Police Chief Jim Braun said.
Previously, officers did not have weekends off unless they took paid leave.
Now, officers work a total of 84 hours during the course of two weeks, but only work seven of the 14 days. Braun said the move to the longer work day is a trend in law enforcement departments the size of Hays or larger.
"They find that productivity goes up, officer morale goes up. Officers can spend more time with their families," Braun said. "It's important that they have lives outside the department."
Braun said he would know more about the effectiveness of the switch at the six-month or even one-year mark, but so far, there have been no major glitches.
"Reduction in overtime, the very first payroll, we saw a tremendous amount because we weren't having any of the shift holdover," Braun said.
The department's 24 officers are divided into four shifts. The two-day shifts have contributed one officer, on a rotating basis, to a swing shift who works 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. to help out the busier night shifts. And right now, the department is not at full manpower, so results from the switch haven't been completely felt.
"When we're fully staffed, we should be able to make it that much better as far as manpower and shift staffing goes," Braun said.