General Forums >> General Law Enforcement >> What is a duty shift like...!
What is a duty shift like...!
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Posted about 1 month ago Can I get an idea of what the shift work in the state police, local pd and sheriff like ? Are we talking 10 hrs or 12 hrs a day... if so, does that equate to only a 3.5 day work week... does that mean you get 3.5 days off as well..... Is there a time card to punch... do you have to keep a tally of your hours... If your a state police officer, do you have to drive into the station/troop and get a morning meeting.....or do you get in the car and go to work on the road... thanks |
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| Posted about 1 month ago Lot of folks do it differently, I can only answer from my perspective. I'm state. We go "inservice" when we get in the car, in the drive way. Rather than work an 8 hour day or a 40 hour week, we work a 28 day schedule. Meaning, we can work 160 hours, without going into overtime status, within that 28 day period. Generally, a Trooper works an 8 hour shift of 5 on, 2 off. The 28 day schedule however, gives room to adjust hours, take time off etc. It's a management tool used to control the amount of overtime. Or in our case, eliminate it if at all possible, cheap bast**** well, you get the idea. The day could be anything from balls to the wall from the minute you start work to just nothing happening at all. I've always said, police work is hours and hours of boredom interupted by moments of sheer terror. We don't have a time card, we check in (10 8) with the dispatcher when we begin work, check out (10 7) when we are done working for the day. A lot of the daily "pass-ons" updates etc, are given over the MDT. Maybe every couple of months there will be an actual meeting. Since Troopers are spread out over an entire district they could be over 100 miles away from the District Post, so they may not see it very often. Each county will have a local post where some mail is recieved. Beyond fatigue lies compensatory hypertrophy |
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| Posted about 1 month ago You are going to get a VERY wide range of answers here. Even within our department we have more schedules than I can keep up with. Most of the beat cars out of our 5 precincts work 5 eight hour days. We generally rotate once a month so that everyone isn't stuck with crappy off days. Some of our specialized units work 4 ten hour days. Those of us that have to report to the precinct or HQ swipe a card to clock into a computerized system. We can also clock in using a desktop. Our Sheriff's Office has a 12 hour schedule. They work 4 on 3 off then 3 on 4 off during a 2 week period. Due to gas prices, the county is also looking at putting the police department on a similar schedule. I just don't think it'll work for us the way it does for the S.O. Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. |
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| Posted about 1 month ago Like Georgia said, there is going to be a huge range depending on dept, location, etc.... You'd probably be better off breaking your question up or specifying location. |
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| Posted about 1 month ago jlu492 says ...
All very good information... O.K., let me specifiy the location to the Alabama State Trooper. Just from the research, I can see that there are 7 districts in the state, however I cant actually see where the troop headquarters are located... Wonderful information for a guy that is trying to locate land and a possibility for housing for my family... In a perfect world, I would be able to buy some land, get a house built and be near the district I was assigned.... I am sure I should wait until I graduate the academy before doing all that, as I could be assigned outside the district I live in....! Thank you for helping answer all the difficult questions.... Keep the answers comming.... |
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| Posted about 1 month ago If AL is anything like TN, you won't know where you are going to be assigned until you are almost finished wiht the academy. One thing for certain, you will not be stationed in your home county, right out of the academy. Beyond fatigue lies compensatory hypertrophy |
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| Posted about 1 month ago DFrost says ...
I think most State Patrols run like that. Usually, as the most junior people coming out of the academy, you get dumped wherever they need bodies. That could be where you want, or the furtherest place from. Part of the benefits of seniority. |