LAPD Schedule

[ThomasMagnum]

I recently heard LAPD has a schedule in which officers must work a certain number of days in a 28 day period. I was also told officers could work all of their shifts consecutively followed by an extended period off. For example, an officer could work 12 straight 12 hour shifts followed by 16 days off or 6 twelve hours shifts followed by 8 days off. Can anyone verify if this is accurate? With LAPD's high pay this schedule would make it possible for officers to work in LA but not have to live there. Additionally, I was told the PD has "flop houses" for officers to stay in who live out of town. I don't know if this is accurate but thought I would ask.

Thanks,
Mike

[Berlioz]

Not entirely true. Our MOU doesnt allow us to work more than four straight, although it happens from time to time....also I doubt any watch commander would grant that because balancing the car would be next to impossible unless all four officers agreed to that radical schedule. We have cot rooms but ive never heard of flop houses.

[LA Copper]

It's against current policy to work anymore than 4 days in a row under the current 4/10 and 3/12 compressed work schedule (although from time to time someone might work 5 days). Chief Bratton won't allow it, which I happen to agree with. Besides, after a week of working hard for at least 12 hours a day, not including overtime, and then going to court, you'd be very tired. Under our old 8 hour schedule, we could work as many days in a row as we wanted.

You're right about the 28 day deployment period, we do have that.

Like Berlioz said, we don't have "flop houses." Every station has a cot room where you could sleep for a few days here and there, but you can't "move in." If you and a few other officers decided to rent an apartment together, you could do that.

[lewannab]

Yeah I've kind of heard this to an extent.....I have a buddy there who sometimes has like 6 days off in a row.

[archercapt32]

how far in advance do you find out what days you are off? Also how much say, if any do you have in bidding for your schedule for each DP?

[lapd4me]

You get your schedule for the next month on the last wednesday of the prior month. As a new P1/P2, you really don't have too much of a say. It's up to whoever you're paired up with. The way it's usually setup, you work a specific car and another two officers work that same car when you're off-duty. They'll ask what days you want off, but whoever has seniority will get their choices before you. If you're lucky, they'll work with u.

[EricDel]

Do most guys work 3 days straight and then have 4 days off?

[LA Copper]

Do most guys work 3 days straight and then have 4 days off?

Not necessarily... sometimes yes, sometimes no. We aren't on the platoon system so that doesn't always ring true. We put in for our days off with certain restrictions applying each DP, i.e. max deployment days, training, vacations, etc...

[EricDel]

Oh okay, so your schedule can or will change every month I would think? Also how long does it normally take to be considered having seniority in a division?

[bigcitypolice06]

Schedule is different every month you can put in red days (usually up to 4) that they will try their hardest to get you off on...as for seniority it depends on the division. As a boot chances are your days off will be better because your P3 will generally have enough juice to get some decent days off. As a new P2 your days off will suck... I wouldn't be too concerned with days off at this point if I were you...

[LA Copper]

Oh okay, so your schedule can or will change every month I would think? Also how long does it normally take to be considered having seniority in a division?

As a general rule, you can pick your own days off. You won't get all the days off that you ask for but as is referenced above, you can request a few days off, usually three or four, that you "really need" and the sergeant doing the days off will try his/her best to accomodate.

As for seniority, you're looking at at least 5 years before you have anything resembling seniority. I just hit 20 years and just got my first DP 13 vacation, but as is mentioned above, it differs from division to division and from rank to rank.

[EricDel]

Great thanks for the info. Yeah I am not really that interested in the days off thing, just trying to see how the schedule works. I definitely think that seems to work better than the platoon system we have in my city.

[CJ]

I'm in the process of applying to LAPD; I'm 42 with a wife and 2 kids; I've been in community college teaching for the past 13 years, and now I'm pursuing the career I should have pursued 15 years ago--which has always been my desire. If hired, my only concern about scheduling pertains to Sundays. I completely understand that new PO's have little or no say in their schedules for quite a while, and I am more than willing to accept whatever hours/shifts I receieve; however, as a Christian man (husband and father who is required biblically to lead my family spiritually), the ONLY concern I have is about whether or not my request to be available on as many Sundays as possible will be granted. Sundays are church-centered for our family most of the day, and even many Sunday nights, and this is the one and only issue I have with this new career. I don't want to sound like some sort of premadonna, but this concern--which naturally wouldn't be a concern for everyone--has really been bothering me. Also, I'm hesitent to even express this concern to folks at LAPD because I don't want to sound whiney.

[LA DEP]

I'm in the process of applying to LAPD; I'm 42 with a wife and 2 kids; I've been in community college teaching for the past 13 years, and now I'm pursuing the career I should have pursued 15 years ago--which has always been my desire. If hired, my only concern about scheduling pertains to Sundays. I completely understand that new PO's have little or no say in their schedules for quite a while, and I am more than willing to accept whatever hours/shifts I receieve; however, as a Christian man (husband and father who is required biblically to lead my family spiritually), the ONLY concern I have is about whether or not my request to be available on as many Sundays as possible will be granted. Sundays are church-centered for our family most of the day, and even many Sunday nights, and this is the one and only issue I have with this new career. I don't want to sound like some sort of premadonna, but this concern--which naturally wouldn't be a concern for everyone--has really been bothering me. Also, I'm hesitent to even express this concern to folks at LAPD because I don't want to sound whiney.

Depending on the exact schedule, you can expect to work pretty much EVERY weekend for quite some time......most agencies will not give any consideration for scheduling due to religious reasons.....because if they do it for one person, they have to do it for everyone.

Get used to being treated as an employee number, not an individual

[Coronth]

When you are on probation you should get a few weekends off. Once you are off probation you can expect to get one weekend off or two if you are lucky a month, for years. There are positions where you work every weekend (special patrol type units normally) and some where you get most weekend off (basic detectives and admin type). However, you won't be able to land a spot there for a few years (maybe more with the current promotion freeze). If you want to be a Police Officer(more so LAPD) you need to understand that you will not get the schedule you want for several years (if even then)

[Kieth M.]

I'm hesitent to even express this concern to folks at LAPD because I don't want to sound whiney.

Oh, we're pretty used to the whining by now. Take your number and get in line.

It never ceases to amaze me that people walk into an oral saying "I want to be an LAPD Cop", knowing full well that it's a 24/7/365 provider of services to a community...they just hope it won't, somehow magically, apply to them.

IF you make it, you'll find you are not alone as a Christian, who feels the same duty to both God and his family. Funny, but the others seem to balance all these things quite nicely.

[District B 13]

The JOB has requirements. It's not about YOU.

[CJ]

Thanks to all three of you for some excellent comments, and for for being so quick to respond!

[John Shaft]

I would say once you complete your probation, just put in for it. Just don't expect to get it all the time. If there is a Sunday that you absolutely have to have off just put it in red and usually you will be accommodated. Just don't go crazy with that red pen, LOL. If it is that important just do what hundreds of others have done on this dept and find an inside job/ special detail as soon as you can. From what I have seen it isn't that hard to do even as a new officer, especially the guys who come on from another profession that they can take advantage of. Good luck.

[moparfan]

Um what are weekends??? And as far as church that is why they have saturday services or bible study. You make do with what you got. Gotta learn to adapt

[mtxpro752]

Why do so many new guys and applicants want the 9-5 inside jobs with a set secure schedule?

If you want that stuff go work an office job, I still have good contacts at my last job in LA. Pays well, full benefits and mon-fri work week.

I'm so tired of all these office dwellers with no time in the field other than probation walking around telling everyone they are police officers, no you aren't, you are an overpaid waste of money for the dept as civilians could do 98% of those jobs for 60% of the pay.

[las999]

Sorry I'm going a little off topic here......I Passed my written with LAPD and they sent me the big packet with everything in it....It says the next step would be the Physical Abilities Test but they scheduled me for an initial background review.....anybody know why that happens?

Probably to see if there is anything obviously disqualifying in your background. They can cut some more people out of the process-personnel doesn't have to waste so much time on unqualified applicants.

I'm sure it's something that's been covered on policebackground.net.

[CAHokie]

Why do so many new guys and applicants want the 9-5 inside jobs with a set secure schedule?

If you want that stuff go work an office job, I still have good contacts at my last job in LA. Pays well, full benefits and mon-fri work week.

I'm so tired of all these office dwellers with no time in the field other than probation walking around telling everyone they are police officers, no you aren't, you are an overpaid waste of money for the dept as civilians could do 98% of those jobs for 60% of the pay.

+ 1 I worked with a brand new P-2 last year for a couple of months and he was a hard worker and had the makings of a really good cop. I left the division and when I swung by to drop something off, I asked his regular partner where he was. He told me he is working CRO with the kids now because he wants to promote. I told him to tell the guy to learn about being a cop with a little time on before trying to promote. What a waste. Sad that people feel the way to promote is to work inside as opposed to getting at least SOME field time first. The worst part is that he was the one that is most likely right though.

[bigcitypolice06]

Why do so many new guys and applicants want the 9-5 inside jobs with a set secure schedule?

If you want that stuff go work an office job, I still have good contacts at my last job in LA. Pays well, full benefits and mon-fri work week.

I'm so tired of all these office dwellers with no time in the field other than probation walking around telling everyone they are police officers, no you aren't, you are an overpaid waste of money for the dept as civilians could do 98% of those jobs for 60% of the pay.

AMEN!!!!! I can't stand it. My partner was on bonding and I was stuck with a brand new P-2 who only cared about going inside. He was 40 had a 9-5 most of his life finally got his "dream job" as a police officer. He was a terrible officer. He couldn't listen to me because I was younger than him...he was upset because he was on mids, he said he didn't come on the job to work all night or in this division. He just voluntarily took a 6 month assignment in the kitroom or something like that. Its a bunch of crap. I have a couple classmates like that, I just found out that the one who has been inside at OO since finishing probation. This officer is UPR/Slug qualified, and sits on the board that reviews uses of force....I saw him at quals and asked him what he actually did down there and his response "I just shuffle paper for Commander ________ I'm a glorified secretary but I get a P3 spot in the next month or so and it will look good on my Sgt oral. I don't get complaints, T/C's or uses of force so I have nothing bad in my package only comendations from captains commanders and chiefs"....I have not been more ****ed in a very long time I walked away and wanted to punch something. I

[CAHokie]

Yep, Big City...same thing here. I have a P-1 I trained that went straight to OO. Stayed in OO and made P-3 there after being on 3 years. ummmm.... P-3 with no field experience and now is about to get a +1 spot. I like the person but despise that its possible to do things that way.