If SWAT (or any officer for that matter) in considered on any kind of stand-by status that restricts their personal time, activities, or ability to move a certain distance from home, they should be receiving financial compensation. Period. Officers in our agency are allotted 25% pay when in on-call status.

Any agency that expects any officer to be on call without compensation when off duty is staffed by jackasses.

Again, and see my previous post in here, a lot of it comes down to a manpower issue.

SWAT needs officers, period. (Well, good officers) SWAT is conducting try-outs as we speak. Patrolmen and Sgts. If I have the correct numbers, 75ish applications were accepted, the process started last week with the basic PFT and shooting course.
Down to 22~25 now.

This week it's on to the obstacle/confined spaces course and the swim qual, then the rifle course.
More will drop/fail.

Let's just say for the sake of argument, all 25 pass... That 25 still isn't enough to fill in the gaps.

Reality- out of the 25, 20 at the most, 10 at the least will make it.


The really messed up thing is the 75... Only 75 people out of a pool of about 7000 officers. That's what we call in the police business "a clue"! A HUGE red flag.
If it was sooo damn good, wouldn't you think that people would be kicking down the door to try to get in?

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
Any agency that expects any officer to be on call without compensation when off duty is staffed by jackasses.

I can't disagree with you there. However, you have to look at the other side of the coin too.

It's got to be manned by suckers.
If someone is willing to keep getting screwed, well... Why not keep screwing them.
It's not like if the leave that Unit, or any other Unit (Gangs, Narcotics, Intelligence), they are fired or "demoted". They just go back to a beat car.

I get jack and squat to be on call for problems

quote:

I get jack and squat to be on call for problems

Me neither, nor do many other persons I know in service trades.

BUT.......

I also charge more, and so do the service trades during on call business. Since most of the guys doing this work get some sort of commission on call there is a financial incentive.

Take towing for an example. When I was in the towing business years ago your average driver made $10 to $12 an hour to start. If they worked on call they would get a third of the tow bill. On a good call that may end up being $50 an hour or more. Even a simple police impound may net them double their normal hourly rate.

I would agree that on call employees need to be compensated in some form. Either something to retain their availability whether they are called or not, or additional pay if actually called in.

When I was in SAC (USAF) we had to stay within 3 rings of the phone, 1964/1973. If you didn’t pickup promptly heaven help you.