2. Police Officer Scheduling
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The SFPD"s current practice of scheduling district station police officers for four ten-hour shifts each week (4/10 scheduling system) impacts staff availability and productivity and increases costs. Under a five-day, eight-hour shift scheduling system (5/8 scheduling), the district stations could provide significantly more police coverage (defined as the number of hours or shifts actually worked by sworn employees during a given time period) with the same number of employees, and could achieve higher staff productivity.
Additionally, 4/10 scheduling results in higher than necessary overtime expenditures for special events and court appearances. Under a 4/10 system, officers are more likely to incur overtime expenditures than under a 5/8 system, since there is a greater likelihood that officers will be called in for special event duty or for court appearances on their regularly scheduled days off.
Based on a survey of the ten largest police departments in California, we found that, although most other jurisdictions operate on a 4/10 scheduling system, the largest police agency -- the Los Angeles Police Department still operates--for the most part-- on a 5/8 scheduling system. [1]
The Impact of 4/10 Scheduling on Staff Availability
The implementation of 5/8 scheduling at the district stations would allow the Police Department to provide the equivalent of 40 additional sworn employees at no additional cost to the City. The cost of 40 additional police officers is approximately $2,414,670 per year.
One reason for the increased efficiency under a 5/8 system is that certain types of absences (such as holidays and training sessions) would result in less time taken away from regular police duties than occurs with a 4/10 system. For example, when an officer takes a day off, he or she reduces the total hours worked during that week by ten hours under a 4/10 scheduling system, but by only eight hours under a 5/8 scheduling system.
In order to determine how much additional police coverage the SFPD could attain by implementing 5/8 scheduling, we compared the coverage currently provided under the 4/10 system to the potential coverage that could be provided under a 5/8 system. In order to determine the amount of police coverage that is currently provided, we collected attendance records from each of the ten districts for four pay periods, one from each quarter in CY 1995.
Because records of sufficient detail were not available for the period prior to the conversion to 4/10 scheduling in 1988, we had to simulate 5/8 schedules for each of the ten district stations. To do so, we assigned the same officers who worked a 4/10 schedule during the period of our database to a 5/8 schedule. In doing so, we had to make certain assumptions regarding how officers use different types of leave (i.e. vacation, sick leave, disability leave, etc.) and how training and assignments to other units would be used under a 5/8 scheduling system. We made the following assumptions:
- For absences of four or more consecutive days under a 4/10 system (totaling 40 hours or more), we assumed that the officer would take the same number of hours of leave under a 5/8 system. Thus, for example, if an officer took two weeks of vacation leave under the 4/10 system (equivalent to 80 hours or eight ten-hour shifts missed), we assumed that under a 5/8 system, that officer would take the same number of hours off (80 hours or ten eight-hour shifts) in order to have the full two weeks off from work.
- For non-consecutive absences or absences of less than four consecutive days under the 4/10 system, we assumed that the officer would take the same number of shifts off under a 5/8 system, but that each shift missed would result in a loss of eight hours versus ten hours. Thus, for example, if an officer took a sick day under the 4/10 system (equivalent to ten hours or one ten-hour shift missed), we assumed that, under the 5/8 system, that officer would take the same day off (eight hours or one eight-hour shift missed), but would miss eight hours of work rather than ten hours. Similarly, we assumed that if an officer took two floating holidays (equivalent to 20 hours or two ten-hour shifts missed) right before his or her regularly scheduled days off under the 4/10 system in order to have an extended weekend, we assumed that the officer would take the same number of shifts off (equivalent to 16 hours or two eight-hours shifts missed) right before his or her regularly scheduled days off under a 5/8 system, but would miss 16 hours instead of 20 hours of work.
- For assignments to other units and work days missed due to training under the 4/10 system, we again assumed that the officer would miss the same number of shifts under a 5/8 system, but that each shift missed would result in a loss of eight hours versus ten hours. Thus, for example, if an officer missed five consecutive days of work due to training under the 4/10 system (equivalent to 50 hours or five ten-hour shifts), we assumed that, under a 5/8 system, that officer would miss the same number of shifts, but would miss 40 hours of work (five eight-hour shifts) instead of 50 hours.
Based on these assumptions, we then designated each absence in our database as either an absence of four or more consecutive days, an absence of less than four consecutive days, or as training or assignment to another unit. We then calculated the total number of each type of absence at each district over the period of our database. We then computed the number of hours and shifts actually worked under the 4/10 system and compared them to the number of hours and shifts that would be worked under a 5/8 system on an annualized basis.
Based on these calculations, we found that police officers at the ten districts would have worked an additional 52,866 hours per year (a 3.8 percent increase) under a 5/8 system. Sergeants would have worked an additional 9,801 hours per year (a 4.3 percent increase) and lieutenants would have worked an additional 3,067 hours per year (a 4.9 percent increase) under a 5/8 system. Thus, based on the average number of hours worked per year for each rank, we calculated that the Police Department must hire an additional 32 police officers, six sergeants and two lieutenants under a 4/10 system, at an estimated cost of $2,414,670 per year, in order to provide the same number of hours of service that could be provided under a 5/8 system.
Exhibit 2.1 provides a visual illustration of the results of our analysis for each of the district stations. As stated previously, converting to a 5/8 system at the district stations would result in an increase in the level of police coverage without employing additional police officers.
Exhibit 2.1
Staffing Levels Under a 4/10 Scheduling System
Compared to a 5/8 Scheduling System
SFPD District Stations, 1995
In addition, our comparison of the existing 4/10 system to a 5/8 system demonstrates that there would be an increase in the number of actual shifts worked each year by sworn employees at the district stations. In fact, police officers, sergeants and lieutenants would work an additional 47,924 shifts per year under a 5/8 system (a 29 percent increase). The Police Department must employ an additional 244 police officers, 40 sergeants and 11 lieutenants on a 4/10 system, or a total of 295 sworn employees at an annual cost of $17,669,270, in order to provide the same number of police shifts that could be provided under a 5/8 system.
The Impact of 4/10 Scheduling on Staff Productivity
By reducing police shifts from ten hours to eight hours, the average number of scheduled officers per shift would also be increased by 25 percent, from the current average of 12.3 officers per shift to 15.4 officers per shift.
Table 2.1 below shows comparative staffing and officer productivity that result under the current 4/10 system and under a simulated 5/8 system at each district station.
Table 2.1
Average Number of Police Officers per Shift
San Francisco Police Department District Stations
| District | Exisiting 4/10 System | Simulated 5/8 System | Variance | ||||||
| Central Southern Potrero Mission Northern Park Richmond Ingleside Taraval Tenderloin | 14.1 13.4 11.7 16.7 14.7 9.8 9.8 12.5 11.4 9.4 | 17.6 16.7 14.6 20.9 18.4 12.3 12.3 15.6 14.3 11.7 | 3.5 3.3 2.9 4.2 3.7 2.5 2.5 3.1 2.9 2.3 | ||||||
| | |||||||||
| Total | 123.5 | 154.4 | 30.9 | ||||||
Additional officer staff coverage of an average of 30.9 officers per shift would result from eight-hour shifts, with a value of approximately $1,770,663 per year.
Although working one less shift per week may be more desirable for the individual officer, the marginal productivity of an officer who has already worked eight hours on a given day and must work an additional two hours is likely to be less than the marginal productivity of an officer who works one extra eight-hour shift per week.
Overtime Costs and 4/10 Scheduling
Special event overtime (also known as Extended Work Week, or EWW) and court overtime expenditures are higher under a 4/10 system than under a 5/8 system, since officers have one additional scheduled day off each week under the 4/10 system. Consequently, it is more likely that an officer will utilize special event overtime and court overtime under a 4/10 system than under a 5/8 system.
EWW Overtime
Under a 4/10 system, each officer has an average of 156 scheduled watch-off days per year (three days off per week x 52 weeks per year), or 52 more scheduled watch-off days than under a 5/8 system, which provides only 104 scheduled watch-off days per year (two days per week x 52 weeks per year). The district stations incurred 57,157 EWW overtime hours during FY 1995-96, or approximately 366.4 hours per scheduled watch-off day (57,157 hours divided by 156 scheduled watch-off days under the 4/10 system). Based on this figure, we calculated that the districts would incur 38,105 EWW overtime hours per year under a 5/8 system (366.4 hours per watch-off day x 104 scheduled watch-off days under a 5/8 system). This corresponds to a reduction in EWW overtime of 19,052 hours, from 57,157 hours to 38,105 hours per year, as the result of switching to a 5/8 system at the district stations. Based on the average hourly overtime rate of $38.50, this represents a savings of $733,502 per year in EWW overtime.
Court Overtime
Officers assigned to the swing or night watches must always attend court while off-duty and thus always receive overtime for court appearances, regardless of whether such officers are assigned to a 4/10 schedule or a 5/8 schedule. On the other hand, officers assigned to the day watch incur court overtime for off-duty court appearances only on their watch-off days. Since officers have one extra watch-off day per week and therefore have a greater opportunity to receive court overtime for off-duty court appearances, court overtime costs are higher for day watch officers under the 4/10 system. Switching to a 5/8 system at the district stations would reduce court overtime expenditures only for officers assigned to the day watch since it would reduce the likelihood that day watch officers would be off-duty when needed in court.
During FY 1995-96, the district stations incurred 35,497 hours of court overtime. Based on the assumption that swing and night watch officers are more likely to incur court overtime costs than day watch officers, we calculated that, of the 35,497 hours, an estimated 8,343 hours were incurred only by officers assigned to the day watch.
As noted above, under a 4/10 system, each officer has an average of 156 scheduled watch-off days per year, or 52 more scheduled watch-off days than under a 5/8 system, which provides only 104 scheduled watch-off days per year. Thus, day watch officers incur approximately 53.5 court overtime hours per scheduled watch-off day (8,343 hours divided by 156 scheduled watch-off days under the 4/10 system). Based on this figure, we calculated that day watch officers would incur 5,564 court overtime hours per year under a 5/8 system (53.5 hours per watch-off day x 104 scheduled watch-off days under a 5/8 system), or 2,779 fewer court overtime hours than under a 4/10 system. This corresponds to a reduction in court overtime from 35,497 hours to 32,718 hours per year, as the result of switching to a 5/8 system at the district stations. Based on the average hourly overtime rate of $38.50, this represents a savings of $106,992 per year in court overtime.
Thus, as a result of switching to a 5/8 system at the district stations, the Police Department could save a total of $840,494 per year in court and EWW overtime expenditures ($733,502 in EWW overtime plus $106,992 in court overtime).
Returning to a 5/8 System at the District Stations
Our interviews with many officers at the district stations indicate that police officers generally prefer the current 4/10 scheduling system to a 5/8 system. The reasons most often cited are the additional watch-off day that officers receive each week and less commuting time. Thus, the Police Department should assess whether the above-noted improvement in police coverage and staff productivity and the reduction in overtime costs exceed the potential negative effects that returning to a 5/8 system may have on employee morale.
Although we recommend returning to a 5/8 system at the district stations, there are options which Police Department management could exercise in order to improve the current 4/10 system as an alternative to returning to a 5/8 system. For instance, officers working a 4/10 schedule could be granted only eight hours of leave for a paid holiday rather than ten hours, as is the current practice. As such, officers would have to use vacation leave or compensatory time off for the additional two hours of leave per paid day off. This change would be consistent with the City"s policy of granting one-tenth of each employee"s total number of hours per pay period (80 hours) for each holiday. Moreover, this change would reduce absenteeism at the districts and would provide officers assigned to the districts with the same number of paid leave hours that sworn personnel receive in other divisions of the Department.
Additionally, the implementation of the recommendations contained in Section 1 of this report could contribute to improving the efficiency of the 4/10 scheduling system. These recommendations include:
- Creating a Special Event Unit within the Special Operations Division and evaluating the assignment of on-duty officers to other units on weekends;
- Adjusting shift start times and/or adding new shifts in order to more effectively schedule shift overlap time during periods of peak demand for service;
- Instituting a new rotating days off scheduling system; and,
- Monitoring sick leave usage on weekends more closely.
Police Department management should meet and confer with the Police Officers Association on the possibility of returning to the 5/8 system at the district stations, or as an alternative, on implementing improvements to the existing 4/10 system, including other recommendations contained elsewhere in this report.
Conclusions
The current 4/10 scheduling practice (four, ten-hour shifts per week) at the district stations results in less police coverage than would be provided under a 5/8 scheduling system (five, eight-hour shifts per week). Under a 5/8 system, the Police Department could improve service levels that would otherwise require an estimated 40 sworn officers, at an estimated benefit of $2,414,670 per year.
Staffing inefficiencies occur because 4/10 scheduling reduces backfill coverage for certain types of absences, such as holidays and training. In addition, 4/10 scheduling results in an average of 30.9 fewer officers scheduled to work per shift compared to the 5/8 scheduling system. Lastly, 4/10 scheduling results in increased court and special event overtime expenditures of an estimated $840,494 per year
Police Department management should meet and confer with the Police Officers Association to convert to a 5/8 scheduling system, and/or to implement potential improvements to the existing 4/10 system. As previously noted, the City of Los Angeles Police Department currently operates on a 5/8 system for two of its three Police Districts.
Recommendation
The Chief of Police should:
2.1 Meet and confer with the Police Officers Association on the possibility of returning to the 5/8 system at the district stations, or to implement potential improvements to the existing 4/10 system.
Costs and Benefits
Implementation of the above recommendation would not result in any new costs to the Department. However, returning to the 5/8 system at the districts could have a potential negative effect on employee morale at the district stations.
Benefits of returning to a 5/8 scheduling system would include: (1) an increase in the level of police officer services, valued at approximately $2,414,670 per year; (2) higher staff productivity per shift (equivalent to approximately 30.9 officers per shift), and (3) a reduction in overtime costs in the amount of $840,494 per year.
Footnotes
1. The Los Angeles Police Department is currently utilizing a 3/12 scheduling system (three, 12 hours shifts per week) in one of its districts as part of an experimental effort, but utilizes the 5/8 scheduling system in the rest of the Department.