Working Iowa: Marion Police Department opts for 12 hour days, more time off

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - The Marion Police Department is looking for more people to join its force. They’ve taken a unique approach to try and attract more officers.

“We’re short officers just like every law enforcement agency in the country,” said Tom Daubs with the Marion Police Department.

In January, they switched from working 8 hour shifts to 12 hour shifts, with more days off.

”You get every other Friday, Saturday, Sunday off so the most you work is 3 days in a row,” Officer Amanda Clark said.

Daubs says patrol officers are essentially working two days on, three days off, then three days on, two days off.

”For the officers that means they’re working half the year, essentially 6 months,” he explained.

Daubs says the math adds up to an additional 70 days off per year. It’s something officers say has boosted moral.

“Most of the time people wouldn’t have a weekend off,” said Clark.

“When I got hired in 1995, it was a pecking order. You had to work your way up to seniority and then you could have weekends off,” Daubs said.

The new schedule was designed to give officers more family time, and allow more people per shift, all while hopefully attracting job candidates.

To become an officer you do have to pass a physical and written test, go to the police academy, and complete training.

“Everyday is different. I didn’t really want to do like a desk type of job so coming into work I mean we have the same type of calls but you don’t know what’s going to happen everyday,” Clark said.

The officers say the Marion Police Department is full of good people. They told us the shift in hours has made working there even better.

You can learn more about becoming an officer here.

Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.