Recent Headline Review – May 2022
Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes
Our recent headline review May 2022 highlights the risks of injury and fraud for off-duty police work. Officers face risks both on and off duty. They need the same workers’ compensation and liability coverage while working off-duty jobs as they have when working for their agency. An off-duty management company can provide this insurance, as well as help prevent fraud by tracking and reporting hours. Take the time to recognize issues with your off-duty program and consider partnering with a third party to improve the situation.
05/20/2022 Off-Duty Sheriff’s Officer Working As Security Guard Shoots Man
A man refusing to be checked by security was denied entry into the park. The subject proceeded to hop over a fence. When approached, the subject produced a gun and fired. There was an exchange of gunfire, during which the suspect was struck but fled the scene.
05/22/2022 Suspects Placed in Custody By An Off-Duty Officer
An off-duty officer working security responded after two suspects got into an altercation. Police say that the altercation led to a shooting where one of the suspects was shot in the arm. The off-duty officer was quick to respond and take the shooter into custody. On-duty officers responded to the scene to assist and investigate the shooting.
Agency Blind Spot:
Officers are always at risk, especially when working off-duty. These officers could have been injured or killed and may not have had liability insurance or workers’ compensation coverage. Agencies can get extra help limiting the liability risk for themselves and their officers during off-duty assignments by having a comprehensive liability policy supplied by the municipality, vendor, or a third-party administrative partner.
05/25/2022 Police Officer Allegedly Faked Timecard, Charged With Grand Theft
A police officer is accused of fraudulently clocking over 300 hours of off-duty work totaling $11,625. The officer is charged with Grand Theft and Property Obtained by Communications Fraud. Since the arrest on May 25, the officer has been on unpaid administrative leave pending the disciplinary process.
Agency Blind Spot:
Agencies that do not have proper oversight of their off-duty program may not even know if their officers show up to the job they agreed to work. This, therefore, creates the possibility that officers are getting paid for work not performed, whether intentionally or accidentally. Either way, this will likely cause controversy for the agency and its off-duty program.
06/01/2022 Officer Pleads Guilty To Tax Charges
An officer who worked a regular off-duty assignment at a nightclub pleaded guilty to submitting false tax returns. At a hearing in federal court, the officer admitted to filing three years of false tax returns and failing to report more than $50,000 in income earned from off-duty details. He is now the third officer in the same agency to plead guilty to failing to report thousands of dollars of income.
Agency Blind Spot:
Law enforcement agencies do not have the time, resources, or budget to ensure that their officers working off-duty are receiving prompt and correct tax information from their off-duty employers. Unfortunately, when an officer fails to account for their taxes properly, there are negative ramifications for the agency and its officers. Therefore, agencies need an off-duty solution that not only helps prevent tax discrepancies but provides sufficient reporting and job transparency to protect themselves and their officers.