LAKEPORT — Lake County Sheriff Frank Rivero “has implemented changes to eliminate long and arduous 12-hour work schedules for sheriff”s deputies and correctional officers to improve efficiency in shift coverage, officer safety and fiscal responsibility,” according to Capt. James Bauman, of the Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO).
Since being hired by the LCSO as a deputy in 2007, Rivero has had concerns with the 12-hour shifts deputies and correctional officers have had to work in the field and in the jail, Bauman said.
He believed that the length of the shifts was unreasonable and the daily rigors of stressful public safety work for 12 hours at a time compromised officer safety and the ability to make sound decisions at a moment”s notice, Bauman said.
Since taking office as the Sheriff, Rivero”s concerns were further supported when he determined how difficult the 12-hour shifts were to cover for absences, and that the overtime associated with 12-hour work schedules was costing thousands of taxpayer dollars, Bauman said.
The 12-hour shift schedule for the jail alone had more than $134,000 worth of built-in overtime per year, which did not even include expenses for covering absences, such as medical, vacation or military leave, Bauman said.
Rivero determined that covering vacant eight-hour shifts in patrol and the jail would be approximately 50-percent less expensive than covering the same shifts on a 12-hour schedule, according to Bauman.
In considering the expense, the lack of efficiency, and the physical toll the 12-hour shifts were taking on sheriff”s deputies and correctional officers, Rivero directed his command staff to establish eight-hour work schedules for both divisions, Bauman said.
Bauman said the change was made in the best interest of the county and the employees, despite opposition from the sheriff”s deputies” and correctional officers” respective unions.
Sheriff”s deputies assigned to the Patrol Division began working an eight-hour shift schedule on Sunday, and correctional officers are expected to change to an eight-hour schedule as soon as May 15 but no later than May 29, according to Bauman.
The change would result in patrol deputies and correctional officers working 80 hours per two-week period, Bauman said.
The change would not affect the number of hours worked by the deputies during a two-week period because they had worked two 12-hour shifts and one 10-hour shift for one week, and three 12-hour shifts and one 10-hour shift for the second week, totaling 80 hours per two weeks, Bauman said.
The change would eliminate four hours of built-in overtime per two-week period for correctional officers, who had worked three 12-hour shifts one week and four 12-hour shifts the second week, totaling 84 hours per two weeks, Bauman said.
