Brief

Many police agencies throughout the U.S. have adopted variations on the traditional five-day, eight-hour/day work schedule. Compressed schedules (longer hours over fewer days weekly) have become increasingly attractive to both police agencies and police personnel for a variety of reasons. However, there is no known national source that indicates the extent to which compressed schedules have been implemented. Therefore, as part of a larger study about the impact of various shift schedules on safety, health, performance, and quality of life, the Police Foundation conducted a random phone survey of police agencies. The purposes of this phone survey, conducted in November, 2005, were to determine the proportion of agencies having various shift schedules (e.g., 8-, 10-, or 12-hours in length) for their field patrol officers and the extent to which agencies still employed rotating shifts.