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Perry, Parks Want Police Schedules Changed

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Nov 28, 2007 3:25 pm US/Pacific

Perry, Parks Want Police Schedules Changed

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Bernard Parks and Jan Perry asked the Los Angeles Police Department to rethink how it deploys officers in their districts, which they say are disproportionately impacted by violent crime.
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A schedule that allows officers to work three 12-hour shifts per week means cops are less visible on city streets and the LAPD is paying too much money for overtime, two Los Angeles City Council members said Wednesday.

Council members Bernard Parks and Jan Perry, who represent downtown and South Los Angeles, asked the Los Angeles Police Department to rethink how it deploys officers in their districts, which they say are disproportionately impacted by violent crime.

"The perception of safety is not in the crime stats that come out once a month. The perception of safety is by the people who live there," Parks, who was chief of the LAPD from 1997 to 2002, said.

Perry said the issue is about flexibility "so that the captains running those areas can have some determination looking at hot spots ... where we need more people."

LAPD assistant chief said crime is not increasing in the southern parts of the city and assured council members that commanding officers to deploy officers based on increases and decreases in crime.

The 3-12 schedule was implemented six years ago. Officers worked five eight-hour shifts a week prior to that change.

Under the 3-12 schedule, officers work about 100 days a year. However, because officers often have to appear in court on their off days, the LAPD spends too much money on overtime, Parks said.

For fiscal year 2007-08, the department was allocated $80 million for overtime. By the end of the year, the LAPD is expected to go $13 million over budget on overtime costs.

The schedule is enormously popular with officers. "We are not sure why Council members Parks and Perry want to tamper with a system that is working well. Crime is down, recruitment is up and morale is up," Tim Sands, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said.

"Officers working longer shifts have more time to interact with the communities they are patrolling and more time to develop leads," he said.

"Returning to a less flexible schedule will not reduce overtime, will not reduce crime and will push experienced officers to request changes in assignments to other divisions.

"Once again, Council member Parks seems more intent on punishing the LAPD than on reducing crime or improving the LAPD."