By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE Police Staff Association is asking the government for $16.4m in overtime pay for officers who worked the extended 12-hour shift in late 2013 and early 2014, The Tribune has learned.

PSA lawyer Wayne Munroe said yesterday he is drafting a letter to the government, which will be delivered tomorrow, asking them to pay the officers the money they are owed.

The 12-hour shift system was adopted in September 2013 to arrest a surge in crime. While there were rumours that the controversial shift was phased out in late November, Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade and Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage, both refused to give an exact date for when the shift ended.

The 12-hour shift was reinstated in February, according to PSA President Dwight Smith, which led the group to hire Mr Munroe to represent their interests. Normal shifts are eight hours.

Mr Munroe said he has now been given the go-ahead to get the money from the government, which is in line with police policy.

“We are asking for $16m for the first time they began the shifts last year and then $400,000 for the shorter period this year. The officers worked these shifts and should be paid. They had road blocks all over the island, they gave out a massive amount of traffic tickets. If they say they don’t have the money, then they could use that money they got from all those tickets,” he said.

“Let’s just say you give out one traffic ticket, that is between $200 to $300 per infraction and that multiplies. About 80 per cent of people who get tickets pay them without having to go to court, so they can use all the money that they made from those stops, that were done by the officers on 12-hour shifts, to pay for them shifts. So I got the instructions last week and now I am in the process of drafting that letter.”

Mr Munroe said the government has 28 days after receiving the letter to respond before they take further action.

“We will give them some time, we think 21 to 28 days is sufficient. We aren’t talking about suing yet, we just want them to agree to pay the money and then pay it. The PSA isn’t unreasonable, so if the government says ‘we will pay you the money over a period of time’ they are okay with that. So as long as they respond appropriately, we will not sue. But if they do not respond reasonably, or within a reasonable time, then we will take further action.”

Earlier this year,  Commissioner Greenslade said that he reserves the right to enact the 12-hour shift system at his discretion and that compensation for officers is a “moot point”.

Speaking with The Tribune, Mr Greenslade insisted that he was slow to respond to calls from Police Staff Association (PSA) President Dwight Smith over restitution for officers working long hours because it was a non-issue. He said the law was very clear concerning the PSA’s role in RBPF matters.

“While I respond to you now,” Mr Greenslade said, “respectfully its a moot point. All of the officers who are members of the Association are first and foremost police officers. The law is very clear in terms of what they should be saying and what they should represent. I have been very lenient in allowing them quite a bit of latitude because again I subscribe to a spirit of openness with a willingness to collaborate and to be respectful.

“I reserve the right as Commissioner to deploy officers in accordance with the law as I determine appropriate and to keep our communities safe. So it’s a non-issue.”