NCJ Number
183916
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 24 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2000 Pages: 46-48
Date Published
April 2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A pilot program begun in Nassau County, N.Y., 5 years ago has brought down sick time and absenteeism among police officers while increasing employee satisfaction.
Abstract
After many years of research and union negotiations, the Nassau County Police Department inaugurated a pilot program for steady tours in 1995. They had been on 8-hour rotating shifts prior to the pilot program, and were being urged by the union to switch to the steady tours. The pilot program consisted of a 12-day cycle of 12-hour tours and included 2 days on, 3 days off, 3 days on, and 4 days off. There were also a number of 10-hour tours from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., with 4 days on and 4 days off. These schedules left 32 hours of make-up time for the 12-hour tours and 36 make-up hours for the 10-hour tours, based on their contract of working 1,856 hours per year. The program was implemented in two of the department's eight precincts. Two studies, conducted over a period of 6 months, compared the precincts that were on the new tours to those that remained on the rotating shifts. Sick leave for the first 6 months of the new tours averaged 96 hours a week per precinct. The control precincts had 132.5 hours per week. After 1 year, the department indicated it was 50 percent effective in using make-up hours. The department used it to make up personnel shortages and short roll call overtime. Sick leave continued to go down. Random interviews with the officers indicated that most apparently support the steady tours, but many identified problems with it. One of the major problems was in having to adjust from the night tours. Experts agree that any department that is considering changing from rotating to steady tours should do extensive research regarding the best way to adapt them to their own needs.