Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - State Police Director Don Melton says a four-day workweek for some troopers has led to more arrests and citations, and fewer accidents.
The experimental program has been used in Faulkner, Lonoke, Pulaski and Saline counties for four months.
In that time, arrests for driving while intoxicated rose 13 percent, speeding tickets more than doubled and accidents fell 7 percent compared to that same period in 2001.
“I think it’s just hard work and a lot of good dedication from the officers,” Melton said.
Melton said he hopes the four-day workweek helps the busiest state police troop handle a hiring freeze and a trooper shortage.
Capt. Carl Kirkland said troopers appreciate the extra day with their families and he likes the flexibility the schedule offers.
“It allows us to have more people on the road at the times we need them,” he said.
Melton said overlapping workshifts - three 10-hour shifts per day - allow state police to have more people watching the roads during busy times.
An added emphasis on enforcing the child safety seat and speeding laws also has contributed to the rise in warnings and tickets issued, officials said.