Our department currently works 10 hrs a day, 4 days a week. We have been fighting the city over 12 hour shifts for about three years now. Obviously, this is a benefit for the city in manpower useage and reduced overtime, but is tough on the road officers as a 12 hr shift oftentimes turns into 15. I have been informed that our K9 unit will be forced to work 12s as well if we lose this fight. My question is...Do any of you that work 12s find that the dog is dragging @$$ or not working at all after a particularly tough shift? My concern is that a continual dose of 12s will eventually wear out a working dog that doesnt know how to relax during shift. The last thing I want is a dog that is burned out after 15 hrs to lead me into something that can get me killed. Am I just being paranoid, or do I have a valid concern. Only those that work 12s can give me the straight poop. Thanks

Howard


Just corrected the subject line...don't mind me... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Will Rambeau
Moderator

Howard,
that's a good question. Some of it will depend directly on how often the dog is actually worked per shift. If you get a busy night and have several vehicle searches, a building search or two, etc, then yes, I think the dog can lose it's edge just like for the handler.
If the usually deployment rate is low, due to location or for a seasonal change, then a 12 hour shift is acceptable.

There was a MWD study done maybe nine or ten years ago which addressed this - it discussed the change in level of false positive alerts with increasing shift/hourly deployment duration. if anybody has a copy of that, or better yet a link to it, it'd be worth your time to read.

Yeah, the 12 hour sucks! Good for single people that rent apartments!

is tough on the road officers as a 12 hr shift oftentimes turns into 15. So True!

I agree with you, 12 hours is too demanding, too long without food (bloat concerns) and how will it affect your training?

There is so much to factor into this situation. But ultimately it will be up to the handler and the demand. Will your K-9 get some down time, exercise and what about feeding? I've heard some horror stories about K-9's locked up in vehicles for 8 hours at a go.

Last July our patrol shifts went to a 8 hour day (6 on and 3 off. (2-D, 2-E, 2L) I thought it was a great schedule! The pressure for the 8 hours came after a study about officers performance after 10 hours of work. We were working 12's (2 days, 2 nights, 4 off). The only problem was that a 5th shift had to be created and caused a manpower problem.

After the hurricane (Sept 11) an emergency shift was devised (back to 12's- 2-days, 2-off, 2-nights, 2-off and so on.) This was efficient to help officers have time to get their homes and personal affairs in order and maintain policing. We are still working it, but there are rumors of another shift change.

I referenced this because I've worked both. IMHO 8 hours is condusive to working a K-9, and that's what ours work. Compile research on the cycle of a working dog, health concerns and the fatique factor of handlers. Compile stats on illnesses, injuries and likely time of call outs. Not knowing how many K-9 officers you have, perhaps you could work an alternate shift that would compliment the patrol shifts.

Another factor is routine. When our K-9 unit came about, the first schedule created was nuts, absolutely crazy! The demand was to have a K-9 24/7 and then try to schedule 7 Officers to work round the clock. Talk about loopy! The schedule had no routine, every single day of the month was something different. It was not fit for human or dog and it reflected. The dogs got agitated, had loose stools, were not eating and performance dropped. Gotta have routine! So even if you do go on 12's, hopefully it will be a routine.

I will try and find that study and send it to you. Good Luck!

It's bad enough having my dog home, not working, two days a week.... I'd go insane on the short week when you work two and are off five.

Howard,

Our Dept. went from five 8's to 6 to 6 12's and it was the best thing that happened. Morale skyrocketed. Although I wasn't a handler, my roomate was and I cannot remember any complaints at all from him or any of the other handlers. 12's were great. About the only folks that didn't like them that tried to vote them down everytime were the dinosaurs that enough seniority to get the permanent 7am - 4pm shifts.

Law and Order magazine had an article a year or so ago about the different shifts. The study said that 12's improved marale and reduced sick time. I don't recall if it included k-9's in the study. They're schedule was 3 on 3 off for five cycles and you didn't rotate shifts. After your fifth cycle, you had five days off. I've worked 8's, 10's and 12's. The problem with the 12 hour shifts is dealing with call outs and court when you work nights. If you can find a way to work that part of it out, 12's are okay as long the dogs arn't being over worked. I think the dogs deal with the longer days better than we do. I like the 12's for the extra days off but the 8's seem to be easier on the family.

Our 12s go as follows

Fri, Sat, Sun - on

Mon, Tues - off

Wed Thurs - on

Fri, Sat, Sun - off

Mon, tues - on

Wed, thurs - off

Fri, Sat, Sun -

etc

I rode with the dog guy in FTO. We aren't all that busy as far as dog usage goes, but I heard complaints from neither man nor dog.

Steven,
That is the proposed schedule. Originally it was to be 4 on and 4 off. Our current schedule of 4 10s have been working for 16 years and everyone loves it. Now they are looking to have weekends off every other weekend. Ive heard of studies where sick time actually went up..as well as car crashes and domestic violence. Moral and performance went down.
As far as the dogs go...our agency isnt super busy, but we do have our moments. Even with 2 dogs on at a time we still may get 3 to 6 useages a night, most of which are demanding, such as searching huge buildings or large wooded areas for perps. Being as I work an EDD, sniffs are alot harder as well. Our tracks have run as long as a mile also. Being in Florida really takes a toll on the dog with the high humidity and heat which just makes matters worse.
My dog is one that doesnt know how to relax. He is constantly pacing in the kennel and huffs like a train all the time like he is wore out even before we get started. Most times he doesnt even want to eat till the following day he's so worked up.
To the best of my knowledge, dogs need somewhere close to 12 hrs rest on average. If I work 12s, the only rest he gets is when I am sleeping, otherwise he is right on my ass the whole day. I put him in the kennel for a while but all he does is jump up and down on his dog house about a thousand times a day...what a spazz.
I agree with Will concerning the time/useage factor. But down here we also have to look at enviromental issues as well which kind of throws a curve into the whole mess. Of course Maggie is looking at this issue from a scheduling standpoint as she has rank, I know its a nightmare.
I guess if there were any real negative affects someone would have posted..so maybe I am being paranois after all..or just lazy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Howard

Well, after a meeting yesterday, it is confirmed that we are going back on 8's. But the schedule is not released yet. (I have the feeling that it is going to be 7 on, 3 off, each week a different shift w/ the OIC scheduling in the 'flex' time on their shift.)

Reasons behind the change are: the ability to call officers back out and/or work extra without extreme fatique, better for families, court appearances and case file investigations and to come on line with the new labour law standards.

Howard, don't despair, the 12's aren't bad if it is managed properly. I understand the hot weather issue and it can be draining for a day shift. Who knows, you might like the 4 on, 4 off, many here did. I also didn't like the 12's because of slackers and the amount of sickness here is unrealistic. Having an officer report sick for an entire tour infringed on the moral and performance of the shift. Let's see what shorter days and longer weeks will bring.