Protests in Los Angeles, first over stay at home orders and then the death of George Floyd, have resulted in large amounts of overtime work for officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, but they will not be paid for the time, according to an internal memo.
The department will compensate the officers in time off instead, LAPD told CNN.
“During this extraordinary time, including the full mobilization of our sworn members, the Department has expended more than $40 million dollars in overtime expenses,” the memo reads. “This amount far exceeds any budgetary reserve to address unusual occurrences.”
The overtime compensation policy applies to hours beginning June 7, 2020, according to the memo obtained by CNN. Before that date, sworn officers could accrue up to 150 hours of compensated time off, but that cap no longer applies, the department said in a statement.
LAPD has also instructed commanding officers and supervisors to make every effort to ensure overtime hours are minimized.
“I recognize that you have worked tirelessly these past couple weeks,” Police Chief Michel Moore said in the memo. “Your dedication and commitment have not gone unnoticed.”
This announcement comes nearly two weeks after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city identified $100 million to $150 million in cuts to LAPD’s budget to “build trust and bolster accountability” with more transparent police practices.
At least seven officers were removed from their field duties after using excessive force during recent protests over George Floyd’s death, the police department told CNN last week. The department said 40 investigators are thoroughly looking into 56 complaints related to the protests, 28 of which involve alleged use of force.
After early tensions with protesters, the city attorney announced last week that those arrested for curfew violations and failure to disperse would not be prosecuted.
