SEATTLE — A Seattle police officer has been suspended for the second time in three years for violating a department policy regarding overtime pay.
According to a Seattle Police Department’s disciplinary report, the officer violated the department’s reporting and recording overtime policy when he filled out a timesheet that stated he worked 133 hours between Nov. 11 through Nov. 18 in 2023 and without receiving prior approval. The policy sets a 90-hour a week limit.
The report detailed an interview with the officer and the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) where the officer admitted to violating the policy, but that he did not “recall the exact number of hours” worked.
The report said the officer suggested the policy was not regularly enforced and that there was a “don’t ask, don’t tell” preference among supervisors because of low staffing.
The officer also told OPA he got five and half hours of sleep while working 19 hours a day for six days in a row.
Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr suspended the officer for 90 hours, doubling the top-end of the discipline committee's recommendation.
Rahr said even if the officer only got five hours of sleep a night during the period that the lack of sleep would create a safety issue for both the officer and community.
“Your actions were unreasonable, especially given your prior suspension,” Rahr said in the report. “My intent is to ensure you get the message, unequivocally, that if you violate the work-hour maximums policy again, you should be prepared to receive serious discipline.”
According to the report, the officer violated the same policy in 2021 and received a one-day suspension. The officer was also reportedly suspended for four days for violating a different department policy on Nov. 3, 2023.