N.O. police facing mandatory 60-hour weeks

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Members of the New Orleans Police Department may soon be forced to work 60-hour weeks under a new plan aimed at reducing the city's crime problem.

As part of his proposed $5.7 million plan given to city officials Wednesday, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said he wants to increase most of his officers' weekly workload in an attempt to reduce crime, The New Orleans Times-Picayune said.

While proposing his plan to city council members, Riley said the overtime costs would be covered under the plan's budget.

"It is a great opportunity to reduce crime in areas of concern," Riley said. "It would not be a situation where officers are worked to death."

If the plan is eventually approved, uniformed patrol officers in most of the city's districts would be required to work five 12-hour days a week.

Riley said by having officers work such longer hours, at any given time there would be 33 percent more police officers available to the public.

The city's budget committee is to vote on the proposal on Sept. 21, the newspaper said.