The department has a responsibility to ensure the safety of special events within the city. To do so, the department may assign or mandate overtime for special events as authorized by the chief of police or designee.
Sworn personnel may need to meet specific qualifications determined by the chief of their designee to be considered for an overtime special event position. These qualifications will be noted on the overtime posting and only those meeting the qualifications will receive the assignment.
Except where otherwise indicated, as used in this policy the term “officer” includes sworn personnel of all ranks.
Posting
The department will make every attempt to pre-post overtime opportunities for special events so that officers can volunteer for assignment.
Notification
As events are identified, the events will be posted in the overtime scheduling system, normally a month prior to the event. Late scheduled events will also be posted in the overtime scheduling system.
When events are posted, officers registered in the overtime scheduling system will receive a system notification as selected by the employee.
Volunteering for Shifts and Assignment
Officers who are registered in the overtime scheduling system may volunteer for any posted overtime shift for which they are qualified. Qualification may be based on rank or previous service to a same or similar assignment.
Officers are not eligible to volunteer if the following circumstances exist:
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While on administrative-only duty, sick leave, paid parental leave, light duty, injured on-duty status, during mandatory leave following a critical incident or whose job duties are restricted due to an order of a physician.
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While attending the Saint Paul Police Department Recruit Academy.
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While on suspension, administrative leave, executive loan, or leave of absence.
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Employees who use more than 100 hours of sick leave in any calendar year, commencing on January first of each year (not including FMLA, an accommodation from human resources, birth of a child, or absence due to major medical reasons).
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Other just or reasonable cause as determined by a supervisor, command officer, or chief of police.
The inspections unit will schedule overtime shifts for special events according to the department’s established procedure using the overtime scheduling system.
The department will assign positions to volunteers first. If enough officers have not volunteered for an event, the department may open shifts to sergeants, depending on the event.
Required Overtime / Call Back
If special event overtime shifts are not filled by officers or supervisors who have volunteered for the event, sworn personnel will be mandated to fill the positions.
Mandated officers will come from one of two sources: (1) on-duty personnel who are mandated to start early or held over after shift, and (2) officers on RDO who are mandated for shifts based on reverse seniority (lowest senior officer not previously mandated).
Officers who have been required to work mandatory overtime will not be assigned another mandatory overtime shift until all officers of the same rank have been assigned to a mandatory overtime shift.
Officers skipped due to on-duty status will be the first up for the next instance of mandated event overtime.
The reverse seniority mandate will reset on January 1 of each calendar year.
Officers who are required to work mandatory overtime will be given notice before they will be required to work non-emergency overtime. Mandatory overtime will be compensated according to general order 207.00.
Paid Leave
- Officers will not be ordered to work non-emergency overtime assignments while they are on paid leave.
- Regularly scheduled days off are not considered paid leave unless paid leave is taken before and after those days (bracketed).
- If an officer takes a minimum of seven days off in a row (including regular scheduled days off) the regular days off are considered part of a paid leave bracket and the officer cannot be forced to work non-emergency overtime assignments.
Officers cannot take paid leave to work overtime assignments.
Failure to Report
- If a supervisor or officer cannot work an assigned special event, they must notify the inspections unit and another supervisor or officer will be identified for the event.Inspections will attempt to fill the vacant overtime slot with a supervisor or officer who previously volunteered for the position following the procedures of this general policy.
- Officers who fail to report for a special event or are late will be considered absent without leave and are subject to disciplinary action.
Supervision for Special Events
The special event supervisor (may be a supervisor designated for the event or a district supervisor) is responsible for addressing problems that may arise, supervising police responses, and ensuring that all officers are provided with instructions for their assignment and that all designated assignments for the event are covered, and handling complains or problems. Complaints can also be forwarded to the inspections unit sergeant.
The contact person usually is the person in charge of the event and is aware of and special needs or concerns regarding the event. The event organizer will be responsible to run the event according to the city permits granted and city policy/procedures. The officer(s) are there to assist staff persons to run a safe and orderly event and enforce violations of law; officers should not get involved in enforcing event rules or values.
Special Event Start and End Procedures
The special event supervisor will determine the end of tour (EOT) time.
Issued April 19, 2019