Boston City Council Keeps Police Overtime Dockets Alive for Working Session

BOSTON -- September 12, 2024, Boston City Council hears that BPD overtime is on track to approach $100 million while the force is short more than 580 officers. At a September 12 joint hearing of the Ways and Means and Public Safety and Criminal Justice committees, co-chairs Brian Worrell and Henry Santana received testimony from Bureau Chief Lisa O'Brien that only 1,671 of BPD's 2,018 officers on the books are available for deployment, well below the 2,500 mandated by city code. Councilor Benjamin J. Weber, lead sponsor of the overtime docket, cited a 2015 audit to argue that hiring 500 additional officers would not reduce the more than 50 percent of overtime driven by replacement shifts, special events, and court appearances, warning that "without proper oversight, just adding 500 officers to reduce overtime spending would be like trying to stop a fire by adding more wood." Boston Police Patrolmen's Association President Larry Calderon, testifying virtually, pressed the council to lift residency requirements for BPD as the city has already done for EMS and 911 operators, saying the attrition rate of roughly 130 officers per year consistently outpaces graduating academy classes of around 100. Worrell kept both dockets in committee for a working session to develop recommendations ahead of the next collective bargaining round.