Parks Rejects Officers’ Work Schedule Request

In a decision sharply criticized by union leaders, Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks on Thursday ruled out compressed police work schedules and said that all officers should work five eight-hour days a week.

Parks said schedules that would give officers extra days off each week because they work more than eight hours a day do not benefit the city’s residents. A pilot program, which is widely popular among officers because it allows them to work three 12-hour days a week, will be eliminated by Nov. 22 and no other flexible work schedules will be considered, he said.

“It’s important that we put self-interests aside and begin to look at what’s best for the city of L.A. and for this department,” Parks said during the first of what he said would be monthly briefings with reporters. “We must not do anything that impacts negatively on the service to the community.”

Parks added that compressed work schedules limit the department’s staffing flexibility and reduce the number of patrol officers available to work any given shift.

“It would be poor public policy for us to extend something that we know is not effective,” he said.

The new chief’s unwavering opposition to compressed work schedules may present the most significant challenge yet to his leadership. Many among the rank and file have said they consider compressed work schedules the most critical issue facing them.

Union officials denounced Parks’ decision and said that they may go to court or orchestrate job actions to protest.

“Once again the chief has demonstrated his inflexibility and his low opinion of any input from the rank and file on this issue,” said Dave Hepburn, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League. “We’re going to have a difficult working relationship with him for some time to come.”

Although Parks and his predecessor, acting Chief Bayan Lewis, had previously ruled out the three-day workweek option, they said they were willing to discuss alternative schedules, such as a 10-hour, four-day workweek, or a nine-day, 80-hour schedule that would give officers an extra day off every two weeks.

Parks said Thursday that discussions with the union did not yield any viable options.

“All of them have been studied and we saw none that gave us the flexibility or the ability to address the problems that we think are important,” Parks said.

Hepburn said that even as Parks announced his decision Thursday, union officials were meeting with city employment representatives discussing compressed work schedule options.

“It’s clear that the chief’s intention was to kill this all along,” Hepburn said. “The negotiations have been a sham.”

Union officials and department top brass disagree over the merits of compressed work schedules, such as whether they save money, cut down on the number of officers in the field, cause fatigue or are conducive to community policing.

Both sides, however, agree that they are a morale booster among the officers.

Union representatives and officers have argued that the so-called “3-12” schedule significantly makes for happier officers who are more eager to do their job and provide better service to the public.

“What they will tell you is a litany of issues that are very personal and why they would like to be away from work and very rarely, if ever, do they come to grips with anything that discusses what the benefit to the city and department is,” Parks said.

Parks said the union made a “valiant effort” on behalf of its members. But he said he hoped that their leaders would “not exercise poor judgment and create a dilemma for the city” with any protests.

Hepburn said the union would not jeopardize public safety with any protest and is “insulted” by any insinuation from Parks to the contrary.

“We might make things administratively difficult for him, but we would not harm public safety,” he added.