By Juan Montoya
Brownsville Police Dept. Chief Orlando Rodriguez dropped a wet towel on the members of the local Brownsville Police Officers Association just in time for the holiday and vacations schedule.
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Now, instead of having the 4 10-hour days, the new schedule calls for police officers to work a five-day, eight-hour 40.
For those police officers who had counted on the previous schedule and arranged their holidays and time off with their fellows to write their ports and cover their beats, this means that all those plans are out the window.
"These changes, coming as they are, just before the holidays, throw a wrench in the works," said a cop who requested anonymity. "The chief could have waited until the New Year because everyone had already worked out their work schedule under the four-day, 10-hour work week."
Rodriguez is not the rank-and-file's favorite administrator. Many officers resent the fact that he has handed out choice job slots to sentimental favorites and sycophants. But with this sudden turn of events, it will force officers to spend extra time filling out their reports, possibly straining the department's overtime budget.
That, in turn, might mean that there will be less of a police presence on the street as they will be forced to dedicate a couple of hours to report writing.
"There's no telling why this was done," said out source. "But ti came at precisely the wrong time."
With the winter weather approaching, will there be a sudden increase in "blue flu" as a result of the new work schedule?
Brownsville Police Dept. Chief Orlando Rodriguez dropped a wet towel on the members of the local Brownsville Police Officers Association just in time for the holiday and vacations schedule.
Now, instead of having the 4 10-hour days, the new schedule calls for police officers to work a five-day, eight-hour 40.For those police officers who had counted on the previous schedule and arranged their holidays and time off with their fellows to write their ports and cover their beats, this means that all those plans are out the window.
"These changes, coming as they are, just before the holidays, throw a wrench in the works," said a cop who requested anonymity. "The chief could have waited until the New Year because everyone had already worked out their work schedule under the four-day, 10-hour work week."
Rodriguez is not the rank-and-file's favorite administrator. Many officers resent the fact that he has handed out choice job slots to sentimental favorites and sycophants. But with this sudden turn of events, it will force officers to spend extra time filling out their reports, possibly straining the department's overtime budget.
That, in turn, might mean that there will be less of a police presence on the street as they will be forced to dedicate a couple of hours to report writing.
"There's no telling why this was done," said out source. "But ti came at precisely the wrong time."
With the winter weather approaching, will there be a sudden increase in "blue flu" as a result of the new work schedule?