Sikeston DPS Patrol Division to shift to 10-hour shifts

Sikeston DPS Patrol Division to shift to 10-hour shifts

Officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety Patrol Division will soon be changing from eight-hour shifts to 10-hour shifts.

Sikeston City Council approved the change at their March 27 meeting, and it will take effect beginning with the next budget cycle, which starts July 1.

The current Patrol Division schedule is based on the standard five-day work week with officers working 8.3 hours per day. Shifts are scheduled for 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. with no overlapping coverage.

The new schedule would change this to a four-day work week with 10.3 hour shifts for officers, giving a two-hour overlap between shift changes.

“With an eight-hour shift, when the other shift comes in to replace them, if they don’t have all their paperwork done then they have to stay and finish,” said Capt. Jon Broom of Sikeston DPS. “With that overlap, when the other shift comes in, they’ll be able to work on any paperwork they have.”

The overlap also provides additional coverage on patrol or to complete additional duties assigned, like transporting prisoners or mental health transports.

The overlap would eliminate the need for officers to work overtime to complete extra tasks and salary and accrual rates will be adjusted to eliminate any financial impact to the city or officers.

In order to do the 10-hour shifts, a minimum staffing level is required, and Sikeston DPS now meets that level. DPS is only in need of one officer after being short as many as 17 offices in recent years.

Broom said Sikeston was one of the last law enforcement agencies to have an eight-hour shift as most use the 10-hour or 12-hour model. (March 29, 2023)

“I talked to a lot of the officers to get their feedback and they thought it was a really good idea,” Broom said, adding it will improve morale.

He also hopes it will help with the recruitment and retention of officers by providing them with more work/life balance with an additional day off and reduce potential burnout.