In July, the Roseburg Police Department made a big change: Patrol officers now have 32-hour work weeks, but they get paid for a full 40.
Kimberli Holmquist is with the Roseburg News Review and she's been reporting on this change.
KLCC’s Love Cross sat down with Kimberli to learn more.
Love Cross: Why don't you start by breaking down what these new work weeks look like for some members of the Roseburg Police Department?
Kimberli Holmquist: Well, this affects just the patrol division. They have 21 patrol officers and they'll go to a four-day week, eight-hour shifts.
Cross: And they still get paid for 40 hours?
Holmquist: They still get paid for 40 hours.
Cross: And to be clear, Roseburg Police Chief, Gary Klopfenstein says this doesn't mean patrols or police service are being reduced, right?
Holmquist: No, the patrol officers will continue to do perform all of their duties and tasks even if that means working over the 32 hours. So, some weeks they may work 32 hours, 34 hours or 36 hours. But if they complete those duties, then they're able to go home at that time. But if they have to work longer then they stay and work longer and they don't accrue overtime unless they work over 40 hours.
Cross: And I understand this change is to help prevent burnout that’s often part of a career in law enforcement, but also to try to garner more interest in that kind of career?
Holmquist: Yes. Chief Klopfenstein is hoping to appeal to a younger generation that sees work a little bit differently than previous generations have seen work. So, they're looking at the work life balance a little differently than previous generations have.
Cross: And this isn't necessarily a new idea, right? Other law enforcement agencies are also experiencing a shortage of police officers and many have implemented this kind of schedule as an incentive. I've seen lots of signing bonuses and in those cases, they've seen pretty good results.
Holmquist: Chief Klopfenstein is taking a page from Golden, Colorado. Golden, Colorado has implemented the 32-hour work week throughout their entire agency, but Klopfenstein has implemented it in just the patrol division of Roseburg Police Department. After just six months, the Golden Police Department saw savings of $115,000 in overtime and a reduction in emergency response times. So Chief Klopfenstein’s hoping to see some similar results there.
Cross: Yeah, that can be pretty significant for small departments, I'm sure. So, what I understand is that the Roseburg City Council endorsed this new schedule but not everyone is on board with this change. Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin has made his opposition clear, is that right?
Holmquist: Yes. Sheriff Hanlin is concerned about the cost to the taxpayers and he also believes that people shouldn't be paid for time that they haven't worked. He also sees this as a time when law enforcement should work more, not fewer hours, because he said we are experiencing out of control drug abuse, mental health crisis and homelessness at an all-time high in our community.
Cross: So, I guess now it's just a wait and see if this initiative pays off?
Holmquist: Yes. And as of July 30, Roseburg Police Department had received 46 applications.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
