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officers assigned throughout the day. Demand for police services fluctuates during the 24-hour
daily cycle, thus it is likely that there are parts of the day when not enough officers are assigned to
handle the workload and other times when there are too many officers assigned. Staggering shifts
to meet this demand is recommended, but often difficult to accomplish with available personnel.
Lastly, a schedule like the one in use in the MHPD creates four separate patrol units that almost
never interact. This can create a “silo” effect that inhibits communication and creates competition
for scarce resources.
The available literature on shift length provides no definitive conclusions on an appropriate shift
length. A recent study published by the Police Foundation examined 8-hour, 10-hour, and 12-hour
shifts and found positive and negative characteristics associated with all three options.
3
CPSM
contends that the length of the shift is secondary to the application of that shift to meet service
demands.
The MHPD is interested in exploring different shift models to meet other needs present in the
department. The current four-team plan does have limitations when it comes to scheduling. Since
there is no overlap between the teams, it is extremely difficult to offer training and to meet other
administrative requirements.
The MHPD is contemplating a plan with a combination of four 10-hour and three 12-hour shifts for
patrol. Under this plan one day every other week would be dedicated to training. For example, the
teams working 12-hour shifts would work three days one week and four days the next, similar to
the current shift plan. Layered adjacent to the 12-hour shifts would be four 10-hour shifts. The 10-
hour shifts would work Sunday to Wednesday for example, and the 12-hour shifts would work
Thursday to Saturday. Every other week, the 12-hour shift teams would work on Wednesday, thus
doubling the number of shifts on that day. During this doubled shift, teams would alternate
covering patrol and attending training. Therefore, once each month each side of the shift plan
would get a full day of training. The schedule would work as illustrated in Table 3-3.
3
Karen L. Amendola, et al,
The Shift Length Experiment: What We Know about 8-, 10-, and 12-hour Shifts in
Policing
(Washington, DC: Police Foundation, 2012)
.