What are typical police shifts?
Most patrol divisions run three 8-hour shifts (days, evenings and nights), three or four overlapping 10-hour shifts, or two 12-hour shifts (days and nights). Day shift often starts around 6 or 7 AM, evenings around 2 or 3 PM, and nights around 10 or 11 PM.
Do cops work 7 days a week?
No. The department is staffed 7 days a week, but each officer works a rotation — for example 5 days on 8-hour shifts, 4 days on 10-hour shifts, or 3–4 days on 12-hour shifts — with the rest off. Overtime, court dates and special details can add extra days.
Why are police shifts 12 hours?
Twelve-hour schedules like the Pitman need only two shift changes a day, give officers about half the year off and every other weekend off, and make it easier to staff 24/7 with fewer officers. The trade-offs are fatigue late in the shift and court appearances on days off.
When do police officers get overtime?
Many departments use the FLSA 7(k) exemption: overtime after 171 hours in a 28-day work period (or the same ratio for 7 to 27 days, e.g. 86 hours in 14 days). Departments without a 7(k) work period pay overtime after 40 hours a week. Union contracts often pay sooner.
How are police shifts assigned?
Many agencies let officers bid for shifts and days off by seniority, once or twice a year. Newer officers often start on nights or evenings.
