Some St. Louis Police Officers to Work 12-Hour Shift

St. Louis police will be working longer shifts to combat a staffing shortage as warmer weather arrives.

Beginning June 10 through the end of September, officers and sergeants in the Bureau of Community Policing/Specialized Enforcement on evening and night shifts will work mandatory 12-hour shifts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, KSDK-TV reports. Those assigned to day shifts will continue to work normal eight-hour shifts. 

The staffing change was announced by an internal memo from Chief John Hayden obtained by KSDK. 

“As the summer months near, bringing a likely increase in call volume and a higher propensity for violent crime, adjustments are needed to ensure we have the proper amount of personnel available to handle calls and maintain visibility,” Hayden wrote in the memo. “With a reduction in staffing, we must make changes that allow us to appropriately provide the service expected of us. 

The department, which is authorized to employ 1,224 offices, is down by more than 125.