08-02-2006, 10:22 PM
Am I wrong, or is there a really easy solution to solving the whole staffing issue? (And for the sake of reality, im not talking about the most rational and obvious answer of all....higher more officers!)
Here's an idea...2 squads, 12 hour shifts. Not only are you going to have half of the patrol officers on the road at a time, but you are also going to have much more consistency. You will always be working with the same supervisors and same officers. This way youre not having officers and seargents coming into shift everyday with no idea of what you have been doing for the past few days. This will help to keep your fellow staff more involved with your activities and therefore more understanding of follow-ups, calling out on paper, etc. On the other hand, it will help to weed out those few officers that always claim to be down paper when you know they have only taken 1 or 2 reports.
Now I know that this is an extreme change of shift work, and the whole rotating of shifts may not be welcomed to those who want a consistent schedule. To those, I say heres another idea...
How about 2 overlapping 4-10 shifts on each shift. Both shifts work the same hours but opposite days, with one overlapping day in which all officers work. On the overlapping night, officers could take advantage of the staffing to do details, catch up on paper, or easily take the day off for a longweekend. This would put half of the staffing on every night.
These are just two ideas that I have heard. I am throwing them out because I am tired of the upper brass talking like anything but a 5-8 is nearly impossible. Thats BS!
If working with anything other than a 5-8 is so difficult, how are MOST other agencies doing so well with it? The answer isnt staffing because I am aware of some smaller agencies that are working through this just fine.
The answer is SACRIFICE.... Obviously, there are a few people who are in a spot that they wouldnt want to give up for anything...or anyone. I guess I wouldnt want to give up a Fri/Sat on days either. But these old schoolers have to realize that 5-8's are slowly turning into a thing of the past. Eventually this issue is going to be thrown onto the pile of reasons why we cant seem to hire good officers (just look at how many newer officers are no longer with us anymore). Something has to change. And that may take sacrifice by some more senior officers.
There are always going to be those officer at the top that dont want to change. When the ones there now leave, someone else will take there place. Im sorry to those that are there now, but this is the time that this change needs to take affect. And you guys are the ones that are in the unfortunate spot to make that sacrifice. Unfortunately, I dont think many of those officers in that spot are willing to do that. I mean, if these guys arent willing to take an extra paper call on our fridays or to help us get to meal, when on earth would they re-arrange there ready-set schedules?
This is getting long, some Im going to end this. My point is this... 4-10's are no longer a luxury. They are a neccesity. If we arent going to offer take-homes, arent going to offer better shift differentials, arent going to increase pay raises, etc....we need to do this. If not, we are only going to be able to hire the officers that cant get a job anywhere else....sorry 415.
Here's an idea...2 squads, 12 hour shifts. Not only are you going to have half of the patrol officers on the road at a time, but you are also going to have much more consistency. You will always be working with the same supervisors and same officers. This way youre not having officers and seargents coming into shift everyday with no idea of what you have been doing for the past few days. This will help to keep your fellow staff more involved with your activities and therefore more understanding of follow-ups, calling out on paper, etc. On the other hand, it will help to weed out those few officers that always claim to be down paper when you know they have only taken 1 or 2 reports.
Now I know that this is an extreme change of shift work, and the whole rotating of shifts may not be welcomed to those who want a consistent schedule. To those, I say heres another idea...
How about 2 overlapping 4-10 shifts on each shift. Both shifts work the same hours but opposite days, with one overlapping day in which all officers work. On the overlapping night, officers could take advantage of the staffing to do details, catch up on paper, or easily take the day off for a longweekend. This would put half of the staffing on every night.
These are just two ideas that I have heard. I am throwing them out because I am tired of the upper brass talking like anything but a 5-8 is nearly impossible. Thats BS!
If working with anything other than a 5-8 is so difficult, how are MOST other agencies doing so well with it? The answer isnt staffing because I am aware of some smaller agencies that are working through this just fine.
The answer is SACRIFICE.... Obviously, there are a few people who are in a spot that they wouldnt want to give up for anything...or anyone. I guess I wouldnt want to give up a Fri/Sat on days either. But these old schoolers have to realize that 5-8's are slowly turning into a thing of the past. Eventually this issue is going to be thrown onto the pile of reasons why we cant seem to hire good officers (just look at how many newer officers are no longer with us anymore). Something has to change. And that may take sacrifice by some more senior officers.
There are always going to be those officer at the top that dont want to change. When the ones there now leave, someone else will take there place. Im sorry to those that are there now, but this is the time that this change needs to take affect. And you guys are the ones that are in the unfortunate spot to make that sacrifice. Unfortunately, I dont think many of those officers in that spot are willing to do that. I mean, if these guys arent willing to take an extra paper call on our fridays or to help us get to meal, when on earth would they re-arrange there ready-set schedules?
This is getting long, some Im going to end this. My point is this... 4-10's are no longer a luxury. They are a neccesity. If we arent going to offer take-homes, arent going to offer better shift differentials, arent going to increase pay raises, etc....we need to do this. If not, we are only going to be able to hire the officers that cant get a job anywhere else....sorry 415.