Adjusting off-duty and overtime detail policy during a pandemic
The effects of COVID-19 have been and continue to be significant.
According to the latest figures by The New York Times, the United States is currently dealing with more than 6,350,000 cases and 190,000 COVID-related deaths since March 14, 2020.
These numbers are staggering under any circumstances, but they are particularly alarming for the men and women of law enforcement whose job requires them to interact with the general public daily.
Officers working on the front lines of their communities are at considerable risk for contracting the virus. While new policies and protective mandates have been implemented, the inevitable nature of police work requires various forms of physical contact.
Since the start of 2020, the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP), a nonprofit organization that tracks law enforcement fatalities in the line of duty, reported that at least 101 officers have died of COVID-19, while the death of another 150 officers await verification.
COVID-19 has now been responsible for killing more law enforcement officers than all other causes combined according to a September 3, 2020, CNN report.
To put these numbers in perspective, ODMP expects COVID-19 to surpass 9/11 as the single incident with the highest line of duty death toll in the country’s history.
Unfortunately, concerns about spreading the virus are not limited to the officers themselves. In addition to the typical risks and stressors associated with police work, officers must also cope with the fear that their interactions with the general public could spread the disease to their families when they return home from a shift.
As a result, many law enforcement officers who would typically volunteer for off-duty and overtime opportunities are choosing to err on the side of caution as these risks continue to threaten their safety.
How can law enforcement agencies adjust their current policies to address these risks?
To help answer this question, we have gleaned valuable insights from the 54,000 public safety personnel that use PowerDetails to manage their off-duty and overtime detail process. From this data, we produced a free pandemic best practices PDF download to give agencies a better understanding of the policy adjustments being made to off-duty & overtime detail policy across the country.
In the report you’ll learn how agencies are minimizing the need for face-to-face interactions and making the process of managing overtime and off-duty details safer and more cost-effective.
Download the free Pandemic Best Practices PDF, or watch a pre-recorded demo of the PowerDetails app in use.
Are you ready to streamline your Extra-Duty Details?
