Officers objecting to proposed rule on off-duty work
About 80 percent of the officers in the department work off-duty jobs. A new proposal could tighten limits on the number of hours they can work off duty.
Posted — UpdatedIn 2005, a double-dipping probe found problems with officers working off-duty jobs while they were still supposed to be on patrol.
The draft policy would bar officers from working off-duty in the six hours prior to their patrol shifts.
About 80 percent of the officers in the department work off-duty jobs.
"A lot of officers rely on off-duty (work) because of the lack of overtime and lack of a competitive salary that the police department offers,” said Sgt. Rick Armstrong, with the Raleigh Police Protective Association.
Police Chief Harry Dolan said, "We want them to have some type of a rest period before. And I think it is very reasonable and very prudent, and I think that the citizens would want me to have a policy that would guarantee some sort of a rest period.”
The new policy would also change how officers are paid. Currently, they are treated as independent contractors. Under the proposal, businesses would have to treat them as employees.
"We are going to try and set up a meeting with Chief Dolan to try and talk with him about some of these changes because there are some very serious concerns,” Armstrong said.
The department disciplined more than 100 officers for violating off-duty work policies, and six cases were turned over to the Wake County District Attorney's Office for review.
Lt. Charles Bryant pleaded guilty to three counts of larceny and was sentenced to one year of probation and 51 hours of community service and was ordered to pay nearly $1,700 in restitution and court costs.
Now, officers must submit a detailed report of their off-duty work every two weeks, and all assignments must come through the department. Also, businesses must pay officers with a corporate check for their security services and can no longer pay them in cash.
The chief said Tuesday that he is willing to listen to concerns about the new off-duty proposal. However, Dolan says the policy is a result of feedback from officers and other personnel.
The policy is scheduled to take effect April 15.
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