Overtime costs Boston police more than just money
Boston Police Officer Jose Acosta has had more than his share of long workweeks. Consider the time that he put in nearly 41 hours in a little more than two days.
Last August, Acosta worked overnight for a vacationing colleague and eight hours later was called in to cover for an officer out sick. From there he went immediately to another overnight shift, clocked out at 7:30 a.m, and then headed to court to testify in a 9 a.m. probation hearing. That afternoon he reported for two back-to-back patrol shifts.
All told, Acosta worked more than 2,000 extra hours last year, according to department data — making him one of the 10 highest overtime earners among city employees. He earned $122,251 in overtime in addition to his $99,122 base salary.
The Police Department spent nearly $60 million in overtime in fiscal 2016, despite efforts to curb the practice. But the cost goes beyond the pockets of city taxpayers. Officers who work long hours are not as alert and can be prone to making mistakes that could put themselves, their colleagues, and the public at risk, policing experts and Boston police officers say.
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