Records: Officers working RNC logged more than 26K overtime hours in 3 days

Alex Brandon/AP

By Joanna Putman
Police1

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — In the wake of an assassination attempt and heightened tensions, Milwaukee prepared to host the Republican National Convention (RNC) where Donald Trump was nominated for president. The increased security demands altered the stakes for law enforcement, WISN reported.

Hundreds of officers worked long hours, with no days off during the convention itself, and were rotated before and after the event to allow rest.

“It didn’t really change what our plans were, but it changed the stakes,” said Milwaukee Police Capt. Tim Gauerke, who led the RNC planning unit. “Not that it wasn’t real, but even more real what was at stake for us in doing our jobs well.”

Milwaukee police officers logged a total of 26,177 overtime hours between July 15 and July 18, at a cost of more than $1.6 million, according to records obtained by WISN. Additionally, officers accrued 3,318.5 hours of compensatory time. Officers were given the option to either receive overtime pay or bank “comp time,” which allowed them to save an hour-and-a-half of time off for every hour of overtime worked.

Nearly 900 Milwaukee officers—more than half of the department’s total force of 1,570—were involved in RNC security efforts, according to the report. The Department of Justice is expected to cover the costs through a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant, with the police department estimating that the total expenses will fall below the $7 million budget.

During the full week of the RNC, from July 14-20, officers worked 35,994 overtime hours, costing over $2.2 million, according to the report. The following week, July 21-27, saw a significant drop to 7,794 overtime hours, costing just over $500,000.

Looking to navigate the complexities of grants funding? Lexipol is your go-to resource for state-specific, fully-developed grants services that can help fund your needs. Find out more about our grants services here.