FDL Police Chief Talks About Use Of Over Time

Fond du Lac Police Chief Bill Lamb talked about the police department’s use of overtime during Wednesday night’s City Council meeting. Lamb cited a newspaper article in which it was pointed out that one of their officers led the state in overtime average in 2013 and that work level continued last year. He says their staffing level is in the mid seventies and of that they have 41 officers assigned to patrol. But he says they have 10 vacancies, which means paying overtime to continue staffing levels for patrol. He says instead of criticism those officers should be commended for being willing to work the overtime. Lamb says law enforcement agencies across the nation are having a problem recruiting officers because of the danger of the job and a current wave of disrespect shown those officers. He says they’ve hired 19 officers over the last three years, but they aren’t willing to compromise on public safety by taking hiring shortcuts. He says the option to cutting overtime costs is reducing the number of police officers on the street and that’s not something most people want to see. Chief Lamb says the overtime costs have been offset by money included in the City budget by savings from police officer positions that remain vacant.