Do many police officers work on the weekends?

Question

I wanted to know the work schedule of a police officer. What days and hours do you work? And do you have a social life, like go out on the weekends and do other stuff or are you always working? Do you have the choice of arranging your own work schedule or do they give you some crappy *** work schedule? My main question is do you have the weekends off?

Answer 1

No, will will not have every weekend off. As low man on the Totem Pole you get the shift and rotation assigned to you.

I work a 5 on 2 off, then 5 on 3 off. I get weekends off every month and a half to two months.

Answer 2

Yes. What type of schedule officers work depends mostly on what police department they work for. Some officers have to work rotating shifts. Shift hours and how often you rotate can vary. For example, some officers rotate every week, some every 2 week, and some every month. Some officers work 8 hour shift, some work 10 hour shifts, and some work 12 hour shifts. Some officers work steady shifts. Some officers have steady days off, and some don't. Most officers have to often work midnight shifts, weekends, and holidays.

Answer 3

Since the criminals, and the drunk drivers, and the wife-beaters, and the drug dealers, and everyone else on the wrong side of the law keep busy over the weekend, it stands to reason that so do the police.

Law enforcement is not a 9-5 job. For another thing, Christmas is one of the busiest days of the year. Police officers, like any other employees, cannot arrange their own work schedules. Everyone would want to "have a social life, like go out on the weekends and do other stuff."

Personally, I cannot imagine being a police officer, but those who do the job (and God bless them all) have to make a lot of personal sacrifices because they love the job.

Answer 4

Where Do Police Officers Work

Answer 5

You better not expect weekends off as a rookie. My agency works 8 hour, 5 days on and 2 off. A nearby department works 10 hour, 4 on and 3 off. I get the same two days off every week, and neither one starts with S. I've been on for a few years, but I don't mind working the weekends, that's when the most happens. I do have a social life. If you are in this line of work and don't have stuff to do in your off time, you'll go crazy.

Answer 6

We work on a rotating day/afternoon/night schedule. Everyone in uniform patrol works this schedule (which will vary greatly from city to city). For example, I'm working afternoon shift this weekend, I have next weekend off and work day shift the next, nights the next and then a weekend off again.

I enjoy days off during the week. You can shop in near empty malls/grocery and it is easier to make doctor and dentist appointments.

This includes weekends, Christmas, New Year's eve, Hallow e'en etc.. We have social lives, but have to work around the rest of the world's Monday to Friday day shift schedule.

Certain jobs in the police department are regular Mon-Fri 9-5 hours like the fraud unit. Most police officers have to work weekends on a rotating basis.

In my city, seniority does not influence what shifts you get (IE. rookies, have to work nights).

Answer 7

I have been working at least 50 weekends a year for the past 5 years of service. Holidays and weekends come with the territory. ROAD (retired on active duty) ranking officers get the best schedules it seems.

Answer 8

Oh yes, I have weekends off...My weekends are Wednesday and Thursday... I work midnights. Our department bids on seniority. Out of 130 people I only have 20 under me. But I chose to go to midnights... I can take pretty much any Fri/Sat/Sun of if i need it in saved up overtime (we all call that different things, some call it comp time). Is it crappy*** as you say. No. I love to work weekends. Sun/ Mon/ Tue stink nothing great happens. Why would you want to take the busiest days off? Especially if you are new to the job. You should be eager to learn and work the weekends to get as many calls as you can.

Answer 9

Some departments have rotating schedules so you will get a weekend off once a month or so.

Some have a set schedule in which you will need to have a little time on to get a weekend off.

Answer 10

Varies from agency to agency. My current agency has a 12 hour schedule with permanent shifts. I work 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. I get every other weekend off and theoretically I only work about fifteen days a month (because I work 12 hour shifts). The reality is that there is a ton of overtime. I have special events to work (i.e. check point), supervisor meetings to attend, court to attend, training to attend, etc. In the end I usually work well over the 40 hour work week. However, I still manage to get days off and I usually spend it with my wife and son.