Stop Screwing First Watch
You know how you can tell house mouses and "merit" bosses never worked a midnight shift? Crap like this:
- (from an e-mailer) So once again the LMS system doesn’t account for 1st watch officers, many if not all of us are scheduled for Constitutional policing at 0700 during the first week in August! We were told by our watch secretary that this is the only time that the class is being offered! So why not schedule it when it’s available for all watches, our responsibilities to our families and loved ones don’t magically disappear because the lack of classes available to us! I was notified for this same class at 0700 a few weeks ago as a 1st watch officer but others on my watch has a 1100 start and a 1600 start!
Here's an idea since the Department has been over-staffing the instructor ranks for years now:
- since the "instructors" are three year wonders who don't want to work the streets, make THEM change shifts to accommodate the officers already on First Watch
Otherwise, you have midnight people, already on an unnatural shift that disrupts body clocks and experiencing wholesale sleep deprivation, having their work weeks completely derailed by a bunch of morons who don't understand the work day doesn't start at 0700 hours for almost a quarter of the Department - it's starts at 2200 hours the night before.
Labels: department issues
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
76 Comments:
Hey Bud, 1st watch is great I can tell all my stories and they believe it.
That's been going on for years now. Then you have people working 2nd watch who start in the afternoon. Who's doing this scheduling and how does it make any sense? 0700hrs is when I'm already in bed and it's the same as starting at midnight for a person on a day schedule. I agree with the suggestion "the instructors" should accomodate the rest and not the other way around. I hope it changes one day. For those attending - don't be afraid to nap and if they say something ask how they would feel going to class at 0100 after a whole day.
Yeah that’s a HUGE problem. Completely throws your body off when it’s changed like that. Then you have to go in because that for the previous day. PLAIN DISRESPECTFUL
How about treating everyone like adults and let them sign up for classes as they become available too! Or here’s is a wild idea a week of training and your done.
AGREED!
The department doesn’t care about its employees. The treat everyone like crap. The bosses are equivalent to snake oil salesmen. One big shit-show. The minute you see it the blinders come off and you really see it as it is. Major incompetence.
Even the supposed midnight hours start at 1900 which is a full 3 hours before normal shift work starts, excluding desk babes. What is so hard about having instructors work from 22/2300 - 07/0800? You think the instructors would quit and go back to their districts and work a beat car again? Doubt. 1st watch also gets scheduled for 3rd watch hours for training, 1400-2230 hours and unless it is their Friday they are supposed to work another shift right after at 2200-0700. Nobody cares and sometimes the young officers slip through the cracks and end up working a double rather than speaking up and being sent home early. Every time I go to training I despise the instructors more and more. They are taken care of babies who do nothing, 8 of them are scheduled to train and they take turns reading a powerpoint 1 hour each.
This is so fucked. If 3rd watch was scheduled for a class at 0100, we all would think the little constitutional policing midget went full retard or completely lost his marbles.
This is equivalent to 3rd watch clocking in at 0100. So put your heads down and go to sleep on the desk 1st watch officers.
Any competent boss reading the blog should order all training cease immediately and ALL 1st watch officer’s on the 0700 start, any class, be rescheduled immediately. Don’t be a coward, speak up!
1st watch officer told me she's scheduled to attend the Wellness class at 0700. Talk about the irony with that one. A class intentionally planned to disrupt one's circadian clock, sold as "wellness". But how can we expect career long merit academy sergeants to run a 24 hour police department. Both of those baboons only experienced days and on few occasions afternoons. God help you if you're on 1st watch.
Remember- Officer Wellness!
The Department cares about YOU!
Now stfu and go to class!
Right! Accommodate 1st watch otherwise will not be able to make it
Morons!!!!!!!!
20 years ago the entire department had 40 hours of mandatory TARA training. (The same amount of hours we have to do for consent decree training.) You got scheduled for 1 week of training to get it over with and not interfere with your family/sleep schedule (as well as summer manpower issues). Not this clown-world schedule of one day in April at 1900 hrs and another in August at 0700. Why does this fucking department's functionality and common sense keep sliding backwards?
They should have these classes the academy run on 1st watch as well. We have to do a better job of accommodating 1st watch officers. Let’s start by paying them an extra 10% for working those horrific hours.
What a joke ! Too many cops/ sgts doing nothing at the academy….and for their whole careers ! Take care of the midnight officers. Make the academy people work midnights….bunch of lightweights.
Midnights is the least appreciated watch & the watch that is always thought of last (if at all). Ironically, it’s the watch a lot of weird and/or major stuff happens. Woefully, understaffed as well. Weirdly, it was my favorite watch for the camaraderie and learning experiences. Not a single new officer should ever do anything less than 3 -5 years of them. A dog ass will be a dog ass no matter the watch they go. So any petulant crybaby who cries they won’t do a “damn thing” if forced to 1st is 99% useless on any watch. The very fact that they inconvenience 100s of 1st watch officers instead of a couple house mouse instructor s for these classes does show these bosses had clout from the beginning and never spent any time on 1st watch. This should be a contractual issue.
Amen! Let the roles be reversed and see how they like getting screwed over with this type of schedule change. Tired of this sh*t.
You really think thy care about your health?
Medical.
Instructors are generally hacks and midnight officers are generally dismissed as incredulous. All officers working midnights should be paid $10,000.00 more and all officers in administrative jobs should be paid $10,000 LESS.
Yrs ago they use to have classes on a midnight schedule but then took it away..Im sure they had enough complaints that NO ONE wanted to work those ghostly hours so did away with it...This Dept doesnt give a rats ass about us.
Very true..I bet if they forced the 3 yr wonders to work midnights, how many would go back to the districts...
This is old news, coming from 5 year wonder who feels privileged enough to post. Gtfo we’ve all been through the shift changes, weak ass officers now. You want to work a 9-5? Every place around you is hiring, but you won’t apply because you have to maintain your overspending.
At least they get the two hour differential OT pay. Don’t forget to fill out your slip.
I have been writing this in my class “critique “ after every training class for the past 15 years. I am sure you can find plenty of officers who currently work first watch and would be willing to get off the streets and teach on midnights at the academy.
Can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Gotta get a spot off the street, S/S dog, days. Only way to spend multiple decades on that stupid job. You see an opportunity, grab it.
They also are notorious for scheduling classes right after furlough segment. I imagine they are doing this to furlough hinder extensions. They are slick smh
I bet Lt Goofy Ryan is the one doing the scheduling. Or the Sgt Goofy Dallas who only knows how to scam the OT court system. lol
Silence you serfs! The King has spoken.
Jesus, how many 006th district war stories do we have to hear?
The first priority of this organization is to take care of the clouted. Always has been, always will be. If you have a lot of clout you can get a spot with a take home car, less some unit or low on clout a day inside job. No clout? Midnight until you get the seniority for something better.
I usually just try to nap immediately after exchanging pleasantries w/ the officers. Don’t care for class participation and the bonding exercises. Don’t care for the useless training. Should me sleeping ever become a problem. I’ll be healing up on the medical till New Year or St Patty’s. I’m not sacrificing my health for this incompetent department. It’s that simple.
This department is run by idiots
I was a “dog ass” before being a “dog ass” became fashionable. Jr.
If ur on 1st watch and they schedule you for 0700 start class, start hitting the medical.
No they don't
When automated arrest first came around 2005, the Academy actually had around the clock training for this, including a 1st Watch cadre of instructors.
I'm a true believer that things happen for a reason. I got injured on duty and its the best thing that could have happened to me resulting on disability. Yeah, I might not be physically capable of doing several things but I manage. But working was worst, it was physically and mentally draining dealing with the stupid department, STUPIDVISORS who are so incompetent and the new wave of TEMU TIKTOK COPPERS. I'll take this physical pain I have than what the job offers. Being home with my kids every day is the best thing ever. So take care of yourselves officers, this department does not cares about you unless you are connected.
Pick your training week with furlo selection and get it over with
+100
and make sure to smile ear to ear upon your return. When the bossholes are punching you below the belt. You got to hit back where it hurts them the most.
Yes F@%# the instructors whom already have it good by not having to work the streets, not being denied time off and getting nice furlos !!!
I could understand throwing a bone to someone that has 20+ plus on the street, but a lot of them have under 10yo. The time for them to pay their dues is long overdue !!
Never happen. The FOP is always behind the 8ball, too busy screwing up raises and then having to renegotiate and give up things in order to do better which then negates the ability to bargain for "quality of life" issues within the contract.
You don’t get the differential for a training start time adjustment.
I agree that there should be shift differential
You’ve been saying it for 15 years as well as others. You see how effective that is? It should be in the next contract.
Says the instructor with 6 years on who doesn’t want to work midnights.
The last time I had a moving violation I opted for an online driver's safety class. Pay the fee. Log on. Do each section whenever convenient. When completed, print out the certificate. Done.
Would something like that work for CPD mandatory in-service training (excluding hands on training like firearms, etc.) You get a logon link, access it on your home computer, complete the training within a set time, like a week, print the certificate and that's it. You can watch power points and videos just as easily at home when convenient for you, as in a class room.
Former Baltimore PD.
Throw in a monkey wrench each time.
Any hope of a Union grievance on this clusterfark?
Either they don’t care or they are that incompetent or could it possibly be both
But you were the coward that would “suck it up” and not speak up for better conditions it has nothing to do with being weak being weak is when you accept BS and think it’s ok so rewire your thinking
Right and how about that 40 hour week long CIT days class while on 1st watch! Go F yourselves and do some 1st watch classes! That week messed me up!
Inspector general needs to know how tax payer dollars are wasted on needing 5 officers to read PowerPoints per class
I bid to 018 and got sent to midnights. New kids came and went on days in under 6 months to a year tops.Whenever the next watch bid was open...It was a pretty good watch, but I had to leave for closer ground to home (family reasons) Most of the kids that went to days never spoke to me again when I did see them. They are likely on the list for marit promotions. It seems like everone had an agenda there, and kissing up to get it done was no barrier to them. I tested and got out of patrol. I would never return there.
I sense entitlement… Get some time on the job kid…
Then get off midnights
Everytime I enter the academy for in service. I bring a spare charger and earbuds. As soon as the class starts I pop my earbuds in and put my head down. Works a lot better. Too bad we have to do the bullshit scenarios
Seniority is a BIT##….
Get some time on job first watch!
the union don’t give a fuck and why would they, hey we got 5% raises!!!!!!! we are getting gutted but at least we got our raises right flop
Excluding house mice of course!
you can qualify at the range on 1st watch, why not have training? although these crybaby entitled kids on the job tell people they were "recruited" for their natural talent.
As to why we are where we are. Keep up the good work, dummy. lol.
I’ve done my time on 1st Watch, and there’s no argument from me that it’s the hardest shift on your body and your life. Anyone acting like a 0700 training after working midnights is “no big deal” either hasn’t done it or forgot what it’s like. It’s brutal, and it does feel like nobody upstairs really gets it. But I’d be lying if I said the training would magically feel valuable even if it was at 2100 or 2300. We’ve all been in these classes…most people clock in, zone out, and spend the whole time complaining about how worthless it is. If someone actually tries to participate or ask questions, they get eye rolls or smart comments from others for slowing them down while they’re actually trying to get something out of their time. So no, even if they moved the class to a different time, you’d still only have 1 or 2 officers trying to take everything in before judging and finding something to gain.
People have every right to be frustrated. This job will test your patience, your health, and your sense of purpose. But if all you ever do is talk about how the job is a s#%t show and everyone’s incompetent, eventually that’s all you’re ever gonna see. It becomes the only story you tell yourself. The truth is there are still a lot of great officers on the job. Young and dinos. Both on the street and off it. There are people who put in the work here and still find the time and energy to better themselves and take care of their families. They’re rarely the loudest, but you know exactly who they are, and they prove it doesn’t have to be all bitterness and resentment.
There’s nothing wrong with standing up for yourself or calling out bad policies. But there’s a line between fighting for better conditions and deciding nothing matters anymore. When you cross it, the job stops being a job and becomes a prison you built in your own head. If you’re reading this and you’re not sure which way you’re headed, just know you have a choice. You don’t have to become bitter to survive.
Absolutely. Nothing would improve around here even if we were awake, engaged, and gave a damn
Yep, the system is broken. Good thing none of us have ever contributed to that in any way.
Absolutely. Nothing like a wellness class to remind everyone that no matter what hour it starts, we’ll still find a way to hate it and each other
Lowered standards ... and no more experienced officers to train others. Now it's 3 year dei snow flakes who are scared to work the streets that think they are experienced because they took their weapon out of the holster that one time on a suspicious person call during their cycles.
The academy is suppose to be in day off groups?
Calling it “training” is a stretch, it’s more of a time share sales pitch than it is training. In reality a vast majority of these lectures could be a zoom meeting from home.
No doubt those hours are horrific. I've worked 1st watch and less than 10 percent were awake for the whole tour. 90 percent took some time to sleep. If you have seniority, you choose 1st watch because the hours work for family or second jobs.
Speaking of screwing first watch….how bout dumbass 016 LT TD getting dumped AGAIN to 016 midnights since she is too incompetent and embarrassing to handle any other watch. Pair her up with good old Roy Toy who can’t go a day without sparring someone and you got quite the 1-2 punch dynamic duo to torture the watch. Add in Mr Personality DSS on midnights SS and sgt AB who can’t read a report without kicking it back cuz they have to go out and have a cigarette every half hour and loud mouth NR tying up the radio all the time to hear herself talk.
Should they bring back Shakman decrees?
1st watch has officers with over 20 years on the job too. It's not just about seniority. Saying dumb shit like this just makes you part of the problem, and exposes your ignorance.
Thanks for posting your comment, Boss.
This is my last year on 1st watch after 18 years. Loved all 18 and that's why I stuck around. Many assignments late, early, wagon, filling in at lock up, desk etc. Had alot of fun! Awesome coworkers and supervisors(LT and below). But now reading a comment like yours really puts things in perspective what the upper echelon really thinks of the officers on 1st watch. We're most expandable and always forced to eat shit. Karma is real so try to be nice.
Go to the damn training.
Then go on the medical for 3 days because of exhaustion.
Such a scam, they only work for 2 hrs each day, then sign up for unlimited o.t. on 3rd watch.
Some things never change. Glad to be outta there!
I’m not a boss but I am a 22 year vet that exited midnights the first chance I could as a po…..
I did my job and and a little more for the BOSSES I did work for to stay on days…,,,
Best watch for family….
Looks like you have not figured it out after a big 18 YEARS!!!!!
Try again…,,
Family first—- This job is second….,
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