There's no such thing as easy overtime for police
Once or twice a week the phone rang in the wee hours of the morning. “Hello,” I answered as I pull myself out of the covers and took the cordless phone out of the bedroom so as not to disturb my wife. I wake quickly, have good night vision and a well developed kinesthetic sense of my home honed over years of repeating this scene.
“Let me run something by you Rich,” was the most common opening from the night shift patrol supervisor. The desk sergeant or lieutenant would then brief me on the incident, which could be anything from a homicide to a teenager “tagging” graffiti on business walls.
Police officers make many personal sacrifices to be on call at odd hours.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Part of my job was to recommend the proper investigative response to the incident. Some investigations could wait until morning. Some scenes need immediate attention, because witnesses are all available and their recollection is freshest. Forensically speaking, crime scenes need to be worked as quickly as possible so they do not become contaminated. Obviously suspicious deaths have to be worked as soon as they are encountered.
Furthermore if arrests have been made, the police and prosecutor are on the clock. The reports must be written by the police and reviewed by the prosecutor’s office, and the arrestees have to be in front of a judge within 48 hours of arrest. It is very labor intensive, so the sooner detectives start putting the case together the better.
These decisions had to be made right away even though I had just been awakened. My decision was anything from no response by detectives to, “I’ll be right in and start calling all the detectives at home and get them in,” for a homicide.
I appreciated those calls from patrol command, and for those wondering, I was uncompensated for them. My alternative was to walk into work at 6 a.m. and find a mess that was fouled up beyond all repair (FUBAR) which caused greater headaches than the sleep loss I invested.
Most times patrol needed only a detective or two to respond. If there was more to the case, when the detectives assigned got in to work them and they realized more help was needed, I would be on my way and calling other detectives in as I drove.
Many cases only required one detective to respond after hours. Invariably, unless I knew he was out of town, I told the patrol supervisor to, “Call (David) Monroe at home and get him in right away.” My partner, the other Detective Sergeant who assigned cases in the other half of the city, would receive similar calls from patrol. His reply to command would be, “Call (Bill) Stanford at home and get him in right away.”
Detectives Monroe and Stanford were "called in" time and again. Those calls cost them at the very least a lot of sleep loss and in the worst cases — family holidays and precious moments lost at home. It is not easy being on call 24/7. I did it for the last 13 years of my career, and I do not miss it.
Being on call changes your life. Can you have a drink with your pals? Well yes, but only if your partner is available for the call in. Do the calls come at the worst possible moment imaginable? Yes, you cannot even imagine the good times it ruins and the plans with loved ones it destroys.
Last Sunday I felt gut-shot by the headline “MILKING OVERTIME” in AnnArbor.com's print edition. Articles of outrage in Ann Arbor over public safety wages or pensions in May at budget time or during contract negotiations are as predictable as pieces on the Art Fair or Michigan football, but this was over the top.
It literally made me sick to my stomach when I thought of all the times I was responsible for calling Det. Dave Monroe and Det. Bill Stanford and about a half dozen other detectives away from their homes and families. Many times I was there with them, but to read the headline “Milking Overtime” was sickening. That headline completely vilified these two great detectives and minimized their contribution to the community.
My partner and I — as well as the guys who took our jobs when we retired — absolutely depended on these two detectives! Not only are they two of the finest detectives I have ever worked with, but they always answered their phones and responded when they were called.
Even though the city supplied cell phones at first — and later paid an allowance to maintain a personally owned cell phone — for detectives in return for 24-hour availability, only about a half dozen detectives consistently answered their phones from home and responded. Some detectives had good reasons — like childcare issues — that prohibited them from responding after hours. For many they just did not have the “ALL IN” dedication to “the job” that Dave Monroe and Bill Stanford have.
Monroe and Stanford are family men, great detectives and work well together when necessary but have very different styles. One is meticulous and strategic in his approach, and one does not suffer delays easily and is a tactical bulldog. Both are effective and solve a lot of cases that seemed unsolvable. If a crime made its way to the front page of the paper in the past 10 years, chances are one or the other had his hand in the case.
When I assigned cases to detectives I seldom assigned this pair day-to-day cases because they got called in on so many bigger crimes. The rule of thumb has always been if you get the overtime — you get assigned the case you came in on. Detectives only come in after hours on “big” cases, ergo these guys got the lion’s share of them.
For those wondering why a detective is not assigned to midnights — it has been tried, and there is not enough for them to do, especially since a midnight detective cannot knock on doors at 3:30 in the morning for routine follow-up. A midnight detective would also break the overtime bank by having to appear during the day for court.
For police supervisors searching for a detective in the middle of the night or weekend, Detectives David Monroe and Bill Stanford are both worth their weight in gold. The overtime compensation they received was earned, and in my opinion each is worth twice what they made based on their dedication, level of expertise and the crimes they have solved that have put very dangerous criminals in prison.
Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.
Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com. He also serves as the Crime Stoppers coordinator for Washtenaw County.
Comments
observer
Mon, Jun 4, 2012 : 9:22 p.m.
sorry Rich, but when you promote Monroe and Stanford into superstar status, you fail miserably in not recognizing the other detectives who are just as good......but who do not get their names in the paper.
AEM
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 2:52 a.m.
Can we agree that it's not the police force that should be dragged through the mud on this issue? If the city council set a proper budget the police force wouldn't be over-worked, thus overtime would not be an issue. These men and women put their lives on the line to keep us safe. Publishing their salaries should not create the kind of uproar that it has. Let's hold the city council accountable and not criticize the great work done be the officers that work their tails off to help keep us safe.
CountyKate
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 1:20 a.m.
As the sister of a now-retired cop, I appreciate what Mr. Kinsey is saying here. These crazy hours take a huge toll on the marriages and family relations of these fine officers, and that's something you can't count in dollars. To cut back on police so that a few have to put in so much overtime that it negates the original savings is just foolishness. And WHY is Annarbor.com haranguing these folks, but not hitting the city hard on the issue of the wasted taxpayers dollars spent on "street art?" Until Ann Arbor gets its priorities straight no one should be worried about the money spent on essential protection. Obviously, Ann Arbor has money to burn.
Alan Goldsmith
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.
It's funny. "Milking" is used in a headline for hard working public servants (in the print edition of AnnArbor.com) but never in the same context for groups like Ann Arbor SPARK 'Milking' taxpayers.
GoNavy
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 9:13 p.m.
What is it that they do? I walk by there daily; always looks like people are eating donuts and drawing on whiteboards.
GoNavy
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 6:37 p.m.
How much "selflessness" goes into the decision whereby an officer doubles his final years' worktime through the use of overtime, resulting in a present value lifetime annuity payout of $1,000,000? "REALLY selfless" is the correct answer.
PrevoTownie
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 4:57 p.m.
How much of the overtime figures may have been reimbursed because of special events such as art fair, football games, grant programs for training etc.? That could make the overtime numbers appear to have cost the city more than it actually did.
Katrina
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 3:09 p.m.
It wasn't easy.
Katrina
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
Thanks Rich for offering some insight regarding overtime at the police department. I had the funny experience at another department of being "mandatoried" for overtime --and then being brought into the interrogation room afterward and questioned as to who was watching my young child while I worked. (Since my shift went from the midnight shift into the day shift, I had had to arrange a ride for my son from one babysitter's home to another daycare center. I don't know if they didn't think this was possible to arrange over the phone, or what!!)
bunnyabbot
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
Rich, many (like me) get it. Ignor the naysayers, cop haters will find any excuse to complain about cops. The city wastes money left and right, it does not waste money on detectives.
Stupid Hick
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 2:25 p.m.
I didn't see the print version of the paper, but the word "milking" doesn't seem appropriate for a news headline. For a title of an editorial, sure, but news articles are supposed to at least pretend to be objective and neutral. If the amount of overtime the city pays is excessive, compared to comparable cities, then at face value, I conclude the city is not adequately staffed. "Milking" suggests that the work being done is not actually needed, and overtime is being approved by corrupt managers to benefit their employees at the expense of the public. If that's true here in Ann Arbor, then I hope a professional journalist would offer fact-based analysis to expose it. In an objective and neutral news article.
redwingshero
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 2:22 p.m.
I alwasy thought FUBAR and the 'F' meant something else. Perhaps he edited it for print?
Sandy Castle
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 2:07 p.m.
I find this article to be on point and far from an emotional. While it's apparent from the article that Mr. Kinsey likes and respects two of the detectives who were singled out by annarbor.com in their article, this opinion piece tells of the overtime procedures of the police department as well as the effects on the employees. The author has extensive experience with this department and the ovetime procedures, thus he is an expert on this issue. Overtime is a problem with the budget and it needs to be addressed. However, without this type of procedural information there can be no depth to any discussion on how to resolve it wisely. Posting the information as the previous article did is really unfair to the employees involved, making it seem as if they arbitrarily decide to do overtime on a whim and not because it's necessary and approved by superiors. Frankly, many of the commenters here would be better off not commenting. Your opinions are invalid without any expertise or experience to back them and they add nothing to the process of resolving the issue.
Peter
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 5:07 p.m.
Dismissing comments you don't like with an appeal to authority isn't particularly helpful either.
Diane
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 1:58 p.m.
God Bless the AAPD guys & gals. You do a GREAT JOB:)
Peter
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 1:36 p.m.
The jingoistic hero-worship and rose-tinted nostalgia in Rich Kinsey's posts is getting more an more blatant.
observer
Mon, Jun 4, 2012 : 9:25 p.m.
sorry, but no one drafted them to be police.....and I am a supporter, they knew what they were getting into when they joined the ranks.....
Diane
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 2 p.m.
YOU have no idea what it is like to be a police officer & the family that has to live with this schedule.
faypatri
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 12:50 p.m.
This article is 100% emotion zero percent data. The fact remains we squandered millions of dollars of taxpayer money on overtime. I have no doubt these cops do good work. No one said they didn't. Why not hire one or two more instead of paying out millions in overtime? Why not hire TEN more? I have family members who are cops so I appreciate the profession but please, provide some data in your arguments. -upset taxpayer. #sanitycheck
northside
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 5:44 p.m.
We don't have any idea how much of the overtime is legit and how much isn't. The article just ran overtime figures, gave an accusatory "Milking Overtime" headline, but didn't provide any proof. Employees who use OT for legitimate reasons were lumped in with those who might not. Kinsey's piece is an attempt to provide examples of how the overtime can be justified. He wasn't writing to discredit the overall OT figures, just to provide some context that the original article acked.
EyeHeartA2
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 12:46 p.m.
So, Rich, you have some high level justification for detectives working OT. Your arguments make sense. So, are detectives the only cops that work OT? Let's go out on a limb and say "No" If we add cops, will OT go down? or UP? I'm guessing "up". I'm guessing it is a somewhat constant percentage of hours worked or budget and if the base goes up, so does OT. I wish a reporter would FOA that, instead of vague generalities. Do cops ever work OT they don't need to? I'm going out on a limb and say "yes" mostly because I know at least one cop that would work OT on Sat., write his 4 required tickets by 9AM, go home and charge for the day. (Not in AA, but close)
northside
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 5:42 p.m.
Sure, there are cops who take advantage of overtime. But did annarbor.com's article provide any evidence? Even a single instance? The article just ran overtime figures, gave an accusatory "Milking Overtime" headline, but didn't provide any proof. Employees who use OT for legitimate reasons were lumped in with those who might not. There was a day where newspapers would have taken the time to do investigative work, finding out what actually takes place. I realize annarbor.com seems to be a shoestring operation but if they're going to accuse people of things they still need to back it up.
FredMax
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:50 a.m.
I don't agree with any hyperbole that may have existed in the original article. On the other hand, Mr. Kinsey's arguments seem sympathy based. The people mentioned in this article are well salaried professional and/or managerial level. Of many people I know in these "24 hour" type of roles in the private sector, I can't think of any that can receive overtime. The after-hours *responsibility* is part of the job.
johnnya2
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 5:29 p.m.
Really? What "private" position requires a person to seek evidence in a death immediately? Comparing a police detective to a private job is just plain stupid. Try hiring a "private detective" and see what the rate would be for after hours type stuff.
nowayjose
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 1:28 p.m.
Guess they should find a better line of work. Or get a non salaried job. Law states hourly employees are entitled to overtime after 40 hours. Or we could be a socialist country. There's always people complaining they don't have what the guy next to him has. Life isn't fair. Don't like what you have go after something better.
northside
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:45 a.m.
annarbor.com loves to publish what public workers make but doesn't do any real research and conveniently leaves out any context. The 'Milking Overtime' article was just the most recent example. A week earlier an article gave the impression that salaries of UM full (senior) professors were what faculty make on average. Journalism isn't just about publishing numbers, it's about doing research to find out what's behind the numbers. I'm not holding my breath expecting to see that here anytime soon.
Alan Goldsmith
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 7:36 p.m.
Your big mistake here northside. Thinking annarbor.com is journalism.
faypatri
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 12:58 p.m.
Agree. But what numbers exist in this pure opinion article? At least A2 provided data...use some data in your rebuttal!!
northside
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 12:22 p.m.
Or when annarbor.com does provide context, it is often misleading. In the article on UM faculty salaries, the lead paragraph said those salaries are 30% higher than at other institutions that offer doctoral degrees. That line gave the impression that UM faculty are overpaid by 30%. The problem is that UM is a top national university, so comparing it to all others that offer doctoral degrees isn't sound.
A2lover
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:24 a.m.
The Milking Overtime was a very unfortunate approach to unscheduled police work, obviously naive and uninformed. However, I don't think Mr. Kinsey should be driving and calling other detectives while on the way to work, as he states in his article, regardless of the need for extra detectives. Get the desk sergeant to do that.
faypatri
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 12:56 p.m.
Actually it was based on facts and data this article is just one mans emotions and opinions.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:15 a.m.
"Last Sunday I felt gut shot by the headline "MILKING OVERTIME" in AnnArbor.com. " "...to read the headline "Milking Overtime" was sickening." I missed that headline. can anyone give me a link? When I post "MILKING OVERTIME" in the search box only this story comes up. I can't find it searching "milking" or "overtime" either. "Once or twice a week the phone rang in the wee hours of the morning. ....The desk sergeant or lieutenant would then brief me on the incident....a teenager "tagging" graffiti on business walls." why would you or any detective off duty and asleep ever be called for advice on a teenage graffiti incident? That doesn't seem worthy of bothering you in the middle of the night.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 6:30 p.m.
thanks for the clarification northside. I do not get the print version just what I see here. If the term "milking" was used that is unfortunate unless Ann Arbor.com has hard evidence that overtime hours were fraudulently clocked or otherwise not needed at some point.
northside
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:46 a.m.
The "Milking Overtime" headline was apparently just in the print version. Since most people are smart and don't waste their money on the hard copy, relatively few saw the headline.
olddog
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:31 a.m.
http://annarbor.com/news/ann-arbor-city-employees-making-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars-in-extra-pay/?cmpid=NL_DH_topheadlines http://annarbor.com/news/ann-arbor-city-employees-making-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars-in-extra-pay/?cmpid=NL_DH_topheadlines
Linda Peck
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:06 a.m.
Thank you so much Rich Kinsey for this article. If I have ever said anything that offended any of the police who work so hard for us, I apologize. All of my comments have been directed at increasing the police force so that there would be better protection for the community and less stress on the individual officers. I am grateful for everything the police force has done for Ann Arbor and send you blessings.
u812
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 10:33 a.m.
Thank-you for stepping up and taking care of your Community.