Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The department is restructuring patrol shift schedules from three 8-hour shifts to two 12-hour shifts, and the new plan which began on Monday, July 4, 2022. Chief James Hambrick welcomes the change after polling all affected officers and studying other departments’ beneficial results.
“Many of our officers approached the command staff, asking that we look into the possibility of 12-hour shifts, which has been on our radar,” said Chief Hambrick. “All wanted a better quality of life, with weekends off and fewer work days, to spend more time with their family. 12-hour shifts allow for such, and after polling affected staff, over 70% favored the change.”
The new plan will take the department from three 8-hour shifts to two 12-hour shifts, and four details (groups of officers with supervision) will rotate off-days to cover the two 12-hour shifts. Dayside officers will be 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and the nightside officers will be 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Officers will be off every other Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All supervisors and officers on a detail will always work together and be off together.
“The 12-hour shift plan is trending across law enforcement nationwide, and it is obvious that much of our staff is excited and looking forward to the change,” Hambrick said. “Operationally, the new plan also provides a great benefit in our effort to protect and keep our community safe. More police officers will be on patrol and available for community members.”
With the addition of the new detail, a Sergeant and two Corporals were promoted for the details supervision. Existing units in the Investigative and Support Services division will remain on 10-hour shifts.
The department will be hiring soon as additional police officer positions were approved in the upcoming fiscal year budget, which begins on July 1, 2022. Certified police officers with 3-years or more experience start at $55,452/annually and top out in 2 years at $66,175/annually Interested applicants should check https://www.mtjuliet-tn.gov/1490/Join-Mt-Juliet-PD to register for future career opportunity notifications.
