CLEVELAND — Despite a substantial new academy class, staffing remains a serious challenge for the Cleveland Division of Police.
Thirty-four officers have left the department so far this year, according to the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association.
The city confirmed one cadet dropped out of its 155th academy class, which started Monday. The class now has 51 cadets.
There’s no guarantee all will graduate this fall. But if they do, officials say it’ll make a huge difference.
RELATED: Cleveland police welcome 52 recruits to new academy class
Officers began working 12-hour shifts instead of 10-hour shifts this year to reduce hours and overtime costs and manage the city's lack of police staff.
The 12-hour shift schedule means officers are off every other weekend.
Patrol Officer Michael Valdez and Patrol Officer Mariah Rodriguez, who each work from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the city's second district, said the longer shifts have reduced their overtime hours and improved their work-life balance.
"For me, I think it's been a really good transition," said Rodriguez. "I had a baby last year so now being on nights, I get the full daytime with my son."
"I don't think I would have that if I was on afternoons on a 10-hour shift because I would be here from 2 p.m. to midnight," she said.
The officers said the longer shifts have resulted in working fewer hours. Due to staffing issues, they were often mandated to work overtime last year.
"We were getting mandated for an additional six hours, so we would be here (on duty) 16 hours two or three times a week," Officer Rodriguez said. "This is way less of a workload than what it was."
"You could pretty much pencil in last year, at least one mandate a week, and it was normal on your first work day," Officer Valdez said. "If you're working 16 hours on your first work day, the rest of the week you're just playing catch up on sleep."
Andy Gasiewski, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, said working 12-hour shifts has reduced overtime, but some officers have complained about being required to cancel their days off, vacation days, and holidays.
He also said he is concerned about the expected increase in calls during the summer months.
"We're trying to address with the city by going to 12s," he said. "Ultimately, the only thing to fix personnel shortage is personnel."
