Editor’s note: Should supervisors make home visits when officers call out sick? Read Police1 columnist Joel Shults’ take on the issue here.
MIRAMAR, Fla. — Police officers in Miramar who call out sick will now receive a home visit from a supervisor, a move intended to ensure accountability but one that union leaders say will harm morale, NBC 6 reported.
The new policy was outlined in a June 4 memo from Police Chief Delrish Moss, stating that supervisors are “required to conduct a home visit for every individual who calls in sick.”
“This measure is intended to ensure integrity of sick leave usage and maintain departmental accountability,” the memo read.
Chief Moss defended the policy, saying it was driven in part by past abuse of sick leave.
“We had a situation when I first got here where several people called in sick and we kind of found out that a bunch of them were hanging out because they wanted to watch a game,” Moss said. “And that cost us money in my first year here, we wanna make sure that those things are not happening.”
He added that the visits also serve as welfare checks, citing the 2014 case of Miami Police Officer Carl Patrick, who was fatally shot by his girlfriend while off duty. Moss said Patrick’s death could have been prevented if someone had checked on him sooner.
However, FOP 189, the Fraternal Order of Police chapter representing Miramar officers, strongly opposes the measure. In a statement, the union called it an act of harassment and a blow to officer morale.
“Instead of addressing the alarming rate of officer departures and low staffing levels, the Chief of Police is doubling down on policies that harass officers for using their earned benefits,” the statement read. “This isn’t just bad leadership — it’s a direct hit to morale and puts public safety at risk by pulling even more cops off the street.”
Union President Brent Steffan echoed those concerns, questioning the department’s trust in its officers.
“It is amazing that you have police officers, again from one year on to 28 years who you don’t trust enough to say that they are out sick, but you trust them enough to patrol and keep your community safe, there is a disconnect there,” Steffan told NBC 6.
