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San Jose Police Department To Require Officers To Work Overtime To Cover Patrol Shifts

SAN JOSE (KCBS) – The San Jose Police Department will soon require officers to work overtime, to keep an adequate number of officers on the streets.

The new overtime plan is expected to be implemented in the next week or two. San Jose Police spokesperson Sgt. Heather Randol said some officers will be required to work 2-3 hours of overtime on days when staffing is below minimum levels.

"This is a unique situation. We have officers retiring and resigning, and our staffing numbers are at a critically low number," Randol said.

San Jose Police Department To Require Officers To Work Overtime To Cover Patrol Shifts

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said the city is recruiting aggressively, with a goal of reaching 1,200 officers.

"Our police officers have worked hard, they work a lot of overtime, and this will increase that overtime load on some of them for sure," he said.

But San Jose Police Officers Association Director James Gonzales said the move comes as the city council prepares to go on vacation. "Our officers are already working a tremendous amount of overtime. They're fatigued, they're overworked, and this is not an answer that's going to make our neighborhoods more safe," Gonzales said."

The department has just over a thousand duty-ready officers, and has struggled with staffing levels over the last few years.

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