How do patrol shifts work?It seems like the officers in my town work different days and at different hrs. alot

Question

How do patrol shifts work?It seems like the officers in my town work different days and at different hrs. alot

Answer 1

Every agency has different shifts, and even within the same agency it can vary.  I currently work an eight hour shift, 4 days on then 2 off.  I used to work a ten hour shift, 5 days on , then 3 off, then 5 on, 3 off, 5 on, 4 off, 4 on, 4 off, five on, etc.....

Answer 2

In my town they work 12hr shifts every other day, and every couple of months they switch from day work to night work.

Answer 3

Shifts are usually decided by contract negotiations, so they can vary greatly. Our department used to rotate shifts every 6 weeks to prevent burn out and give the officers a variety. We finally negotiated permanent shifts for consistency.

Rotating days off is quite common, as with any job where you work 24/7. As far as shifts, officers with lower seniority can bet bumped to cover for vacations and other time off. If I get denied a vacation day, I can ask one of the other guys to work for me.