This story was first published by the Post on Monday morning. Our competitors recycle our stories, but if you want to get our original reporting first, pick up the Post in the mornings.
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
A small group of police officers are using overtime to fill in for injured or training officers, putting the department at risk of more force incidents, car crashes and burnout, City Auditor Kate Murdock said in a report for Palo Alto City Council.
“Heavy reliance on OT may create long-term operational and workforce risks, including employee fatigue, reduced morale, and potential impacts on safety and performance,” Murdock said in her report on police and fire staffing, released on Thursday.
The police department spent nearly $3.5 million on overtime in 2024 — the most ever and well above the budgeted $1 million.
Out of 93 sworn officers, 10 officers accounted for over 35% of overtime, Murdock said.
“This concentration of OT among a small group of employees suggests potential workload imbalances,” Murdock said.
Murdock said she didn’t obtain employee files to see if OT has contributed to injuries or accidents, and the city’s police auditor Mike Gennaco doesn’t consider OT as a factor in reviewing uses of force.
But worker’s compensation claims have trended up since 2020, and studies from other cities have shown extended work hours “impair officer alertness and decision-making,” Murdock said.
The New York City Police Department Inspector General found officers were 36% more likely to get a substantiated complaint or a lawsuit after working OT.
The King County Auditor’s Office in Seattle found that uses of force, car accidents and car chases increase exponentially depending on overtime the week before.
Palo Alto has averaged seven car crashes and eight uses of force per year — a relatively low number, Murdock said.
Overtime has gone up or down depending on how many days officers spend injured or at the police academy, Murdock said.
Most overtime shifts are for patrol, not case work, and officers are often pulled from detective work to meet minimum patrol requirements, Murdock said.
“This gap in investigative capacity results in some cases involving misdemeanors and non-violent crimes are often left unresolved, Murdock said.
The Policy and Services Committee will review the audit on May 12.
Recommendations
Murdock made several recommendations, including:
• Expand recruitment efforts.
• Conduct a comprehensive staffing analysis.
• Reassess the overtime budget.
• Have other employees take on work done by sworn officers.
• Track police academy success rates.
• Analyze overtime in safety incident reviews.
Chief James Reifschneider mostly agreed with Murdock’s recommendations but said the budget and a shortage of qualified candidates could limit some recruitment efforts.
Overtime expenses are offset by vacancy savings, he said in a written response.
The department is unaware of any injuries, crashes or force incidents attributed to fatigue, he said.
“It will nonetheless formally incorporate an assessment of fatigue into its administrative investigations,” Reifschneider said.
Be the first to comment