Shift work is a useful way for police officers to organize their time efficiently. However, one should state that various shift lengths differently affect such individuals. The video by The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (n.d.) offers the study results regarding the influence of 8-, 10-, and 12-hour shifts on police officers. Thus, 8-hour schedules imply essential disadvantages, including overtime and absenteeism, while 12-hour shifts make individuals feel more fatigue (The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, n.d.). Simultaneously, 10-hour shifts imply significant benefits related to more sleep, reduced fatigue, fewer injuries, and increased quality of life (The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, n.d.). This evidence stipulates that various shift lengths imply different outcomes for police officers.
However, the current scheduling principles reveal that not all policing organizations use the information above. Cox et al. (2019) insist that 8-hour shifts remain typical in the industry. The information above demonstrates that this trend is not productive because scientific evidence reveals the benefits of 10-hour shifts. According to Cox et al. (2019), some departments reconsider their scheduling approaches and implement longer working hours. This information indicates that the current trends in shift work are to avoid using 8-hour shifts.
If I were a supervisor in a local police department, I would not welcome the idea that seniority should be the top priority in determining shifts. On the one hand, it is so because equality is significant, while its absence can lead to some officers’ decreased job satisfaction. On the other hand, I would highlight the disadvantages of this approach by stating that this approach could influence officers’ performance. According to the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (n.d.), officers’ performance and well-being can significantly depend on the time of the day when they work. It means that if senior officers, for example, choose day working hours, junior officers can have to work at night, which will worsen their performance. I would use this reasoning to explain why seniority-based shifts are not the best option.
References
Cox, S. M., Massey, D., Koski, C. M., & Fitch, B. D. (2019). Introduction to policing (4th ed.). SAGE.
The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy. (n.d.). The police foundation – Shift work-study. YouTube. Web.