LAPD Detectives Ordered to Work Nights, Weekends : Police: Chief Williams alters schedules to improve service and save money. Some of those affected complain about interrupted family life and claim patrol officers are given favored treatment.

In a move to improve service and save money, Los Angeles Police Chief Willie L. Williams has ordered detectives citywide to give up their bankers’ hours and start working nights and weekends.

The new schedule will allow detectives to interview suspects and answer public inquiries throughout the night. In addition, police officials said, having detectives available 20 hours a day to respond to crime scenes will free uniformed officers to spend more time patrolling the streets.

“This will allow detectives to be more efficient about responding to crime scenes, and it will cut down on overtime,” said LAPD Lt. John Dunkin, a police spokesman.

Under the plan--scheduled to take effect June 11--most detectives will remain on day shifts but a skeleton crew at each of the Police Department’s 18 divisions will work weekend and night shifts. Seniority will be used to select detectives if there are not enough volunteers. The shifts will rotate.

The change has upset some detectives, who claim it is more evidence that the department is favoring patrol officers. Under the current contract, patrol officers received a 2% pay bonus on top of departmentwide raises. They have also been issued new cars over the past year.

Detectives are “really beginning to feel the crunch,” said Detective Rick Swanston, who heads homicide detectives at the West Valley Division. “Now we’re going to be working nights and weekends, and we’re not getting squat.”

Some detectives criticized the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing police officers, for agreeing to the change.

“There are some people who don’t like it,” said one detective from the Southwest Division. “They feel like the league should have brought it to the members for a vote.”

Dennis Zine, a league director, said the expanded schedule is “an attempt to better serve the public and move cases through so that justice can be served.”

“This department has been criticized for not conducting thorough investigations and not having state-of-the-art equipment,” Zine said. “The chief is trying the best he can to make it work.”

Lt. Bob Normandy, of the Devonshire Division in the northwest San Fernando Valley, said the plan will mean detectives will be more available to respond to crimes, but acknowledged that it may be upsetting to those who dislike working weekends.

“Historically, it’s been a longstanding complaint among uniformed personnel that when something happens there are no detectives around,” said Normandy. “But now there’ll be someone here.”

Detectives assigned night shifts will work four 10-hour days per week, while their colleagues will continue to work five days a week.

Some detectives complain that there will be fewer of them to investigate crimes during the day. Others criticize the proposed night shifts, saying they were drawn to investigative work, in part, because of the regular work hours.

“Evening watches can really affect family life,” said one detective. “But the department doesn’t really look at that . . . they look at the department’s needs.”

Most detectives at the Van Nuys, Rampart, Wilshire and Harbor divisions are already working four-day weeks under a pilot program that has been welcomed by many.

Police and union officials said they will evaluate the new schedule in six months to gauge its impact on overtime paid and the number of sick days taken.