San Jose Considers Tighter Control Of Police Moonlighting
SAN JOSE (KCBS) - The San Jose Police Department does not adequately monitor uniformed security work performed by off-duty police officers, according to a recent audit.
A report issued in March by the city auditor found lax oversight led to at least one instance of a San Jose police officer double-billing for work performed as a school security guard, and questioned whether officers who work outside jobs were getting adequate rest in between shifts.
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
The San Jose City Council was set to take up the safety concerns and other issues raised by the auditor's findings on Tuesday, said Councilman Pete Constant.
"Most of the other large cities manage the outside employment from within the department. Our police department doesn't do that," said Constant, a former police officer.
San Francisco and Oakland schedule outside work as overtime billed to the organization or event contracting for uniformed police to provide security. San Jose officers routinely find work at schools, shopping malls and the HP Pavilion to earn extra money during scheduled time off.
Contracting through the San Jose Police Department rather than with individual officers could put police security out of reach of most city schools, said Jim Unland, president of the San Jose Police Officers Association.
"Right now they're paying officers roughly straight time, and so, most schools can afford that within their budgets. If they had to go to time and a half, they wouldn't be able to afford the officers out there," he said.
Unland also dismissed the fatigue factor, pointing to extended surveillance assignments and night shift officers who had to make a court appearance during the day.
"There are times we've worked several days in a row, getting little cat naps in the car as we can, doing surveillance. No one seems to be worried about that," he said.
"I don't hear anyone saying that we're not going to be going to court anymore. I think it's kind of a red herring."
Calls for stronger oversight of outside police work go back to 1995.
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