CITY OF OAKLAND
TO: Jestin D. Johnson
City Administrator
SUBJECT: SUPPLEMENTAL- OPD Overtime
Report
City Administrator Approval
RECOMMENDATION
AGENDA REPORT
FROM: James Beere
Acting Chief of Police
DATE: October 14, 2024
Date:
Staff Recommends That The City Council Receive An Informational Report Regarding Oakland Police Department (OPD) Overtime.
REASON FOR SUPPLEMENTAL
At the September 24, 2024, Finance and Management Committee meeting, Councilmembers voted and approved to continue this report to the October 22, 2024, meeting. They asked OPD to return with a supplemental report to include the following:
• What operational activities generated the overtime for Communications, Recruiting and Background, and Training?
• In addition to the forthcoming Excel tracking of overtime, what other strategies will OPD use to manage overtime?
What operational activities generated the overtime for Communication, Recruiting and Background, and Training?
Communications Division: The Communications Division has heavily relied on overtime to address staffing shortages. In the third quarter of Fiscal Year (FY} 2024, there were 21 dispatchers in training and nine vacant positions, necessitating overtime to backfill 30 positions for both training and vacancies. Additionally, five dispatchers were on long-term leave, and two were on administrative leave. As a result, the Division had to backfill 37 dispatchers out of an authorized 76. Overtime costs were incurred to cover the gaps created by vacancies, training, and extended leave.
As the Department continues hiring to fill dispatcher vacancies, we anticipate a reduction in overtime expenditures, as regular staff will replace the need for overtime coverage.
Recruiting and Background Unit: The Recruiting and Background (R&B) Unit has traditionally depended on overtime to meet staffing demands. This has involved officers and sergeants supporting background investigations and recruitment activities. In Q3 of FY 2024, sworn personnel and professional staff attended 16 events requiring overtime, including practice physical agility workshops, oral board panels, Police Officer Trainee virtual information sessions, and community outreach and recruiting events. Additionally, 74 background investigations were completed, many finalized through overtime efforts.
Finance and Management Committee
October 22, 2024
Jestin Johnson (Oct 17, 2024 11:25 PDT)
Oct 17, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Supplemental- OPD Overtime Report
Date: October 9, 2024 Page 2
Despite ongoing staffing challenges, the unit's operational responsibilities and workload remained consistent, necessitating the continued use of overtime to meet demand.
Training Division: The Training Division is structured into several key components: the Wellness Center, In-service Training, Basic Academy, and the Field Training Unit, each necessitating overtime for basic operations, detailed as follows for Q3:
• Wellness Center: Overtime was primarily used for administrative tasks such as grant writing, attending off-hour meetings with the City Council or Police Commission, and creating or revising unit policies and documents.
• In-Service Training: Overtime was required for auxiliary setups related to the mandatory 4- hour POST firearms qualification and weekly Continued Professional Training (CPT).
Additionally, overtime was necessary for defensive tactics, arrest and control instructors for CPT, remedial training, and supplemental training. The POST transitional academy, associated with each Basic Academy class, often required instructors to work overtime to deliver their instructional blocks. Procedural Justice training, a distinct instructional component, also incurred overtime costs.
• Basic Academy: Overtime was required to accommodate multiple learning domains, with instructors frequently working overtime due to scheduling constraints related to the availability of off-site training facilities, sometimes requiring weekend sessions. • Field Training Unit: Overtime was required to facilitate focus group meetings at various stages of the field training process, based on the schedules of sworn personnel. Supervisors undertook additional administrative duties such as division-level investigations and reviews.
The division also incurred overtime expenses for supplemental training assignments for individual officers or group sessions.
In addition to the forthcoming Excel tracking of overtime, what other strategies will CPD use to manage overtime?
OPD has implemented the following strategies to manage overtime usage effectively:
• Conduct monthly reviews of overtime expenditures, making necessary adjustments to overtime usage as required.
• Ensure that all overtime hours are justified and essential, holding supervisors and commanders accountable for overtime expenditures.
• Evaluate the necessity of specialized operations that incur overtime and adjust as needed.
By adhering to these strategies, OPD will better manage overtime and reduce costs.
FISCAL IMPACT
This report is for informational purposes only and has no direct fiscal impact or cost.
Finance and Management Committee
October 22, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Supplemental- OPD Overtime Report
Date: October 9, 2024
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
This report did not require public outreach.
COORDINATION
This report did not require interdepartmental coordination.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: There are no economic opportunities associated with this report.
Environmental: There are no environmental opportunities associated with this report.
Race and Equity: One of the Oakland Police Department's primary goals is reducing violent crime. Violent crime directly impacts the most under-resourced neighborhoods and vulnerable populations in Oakland. Overtime funds are allocated to mitigate the impacts of crime by increasing patrols, providing training for officers, and conducting homicide investigations.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That City Council Receive An Informational Report Regarding OPD Overtime
For questions regarding this report, please contact LaRajia Marshall, Fiscal Manager, at [email protected].
Respectfully submitted,
James Beere
Acting Chief of Police
Oakland Police Department
Reviewed by:
Kiona Suttle, Deputy Director
OPD, Bureau of Services
Finance and Management Committee
October 22, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Supplemental- OPD Overtime Report
Date: October 9, 2024 Page 4
Prepared by:
LaRajia Marshall, Fiscal Manager
OPD, Fiscal Services Division
Finance and Management Committee
October 22, 2024