La Crosse P.D. switching to 12-hour shifts

Change will not cost any more money, puts more police on streets

The days of working an eight-hour shift for La Crosse beat cops is over starting Friday when the department moves to 12-hour shifts.

La Crosse Capt. Jason Melby doesn’t believe the switch to 12s will result in significant performance changes.

“Obviously, the further you get, if you have people working 16, 18, longer than this, you’re going to have some diminish in their general awareness and everything like that,” Melby said. “The vast majority of studies indicate there is not a loss in policing by moving to 12-hour shifts. 

“Quite honestly, a lot of agencies across the country have done it.”

What the change does do, is put more police on the streets, Melby said. It also isn’t costing any thing more and the officers should benefit.

“Lets face it, for the officers, they are getting additional days off,” Melby said. “Now, obviously, they are working longer days, but in exchange, they actually report to work fewer days over the course of the year.”

Third shift police won’t really even exist with the switch, either. 

The switch was arrived at only after extended negotiation with the city’s police union.