When the Hoover Police Department announced it was moving patrol officers from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts, department leaders said the change was intended to improve officer wellness and work-life balance.
Under the new schedule, every patrol officer will have every other Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. The change gives newer officers regular weekends away from work, an option that previously depended largely on seniority.
The move prompted Police1 readers to share their own experiences working 8-, 10- and 12-hour schedules. Some said the longer shifts gave them more time with family and a better opportunity to reset. Others warned that a scheduled 12-hour day can easily stretch to 16 hours because of late arrests, reports, court appearances or mandatory overtime.
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Across the responses, one point stood out: Whether a 12-hour schedule supports officer wellness often depends on how the schedule is structured, how well the agency is staffed and whether officers rotate between days and nights.
Here is what Police1 readers had to say.
More days off can mean more time to reset
Supporters of 12-hour shifts said the biggest benefit is having more full days away from work, including every other weekend under schedules like the one adopted in Hoover.
“Without a doubt, 12-hour shifts are the way to go. In my career, we’ve worked 8-hour shifts and 10-hour shifts. The 12-hour shifts give the officer every other weekend off and promote more stability in their lives, giving them more family time together and more days off. It’s most definitely a win/ win situation for everyone!”
Another reader said the change had a noticeable effect on life away from the job.
“I went from a department that was on an 8-hour schedule to a department with a 12-hour schedule. I’m truly happier with the 12-hour schedule. More time away from work is a great reset.”
For some, the schedule also makes it easier to take longer stretches of leave or pick up extra work.
“Yes, I do. The schedule mentioned is called the Pittman schedule. It gives EVERYONE a fair chance to have weekends off, instead of just senior officers. This schedule is used by a vast majority of agencies in South Carolina. It is extremely popular. One benefit is that an officer needs only use two days of vacation or comp time to have a full week off. Sick leave goes down, and officers get more rest. They also have more time available to work extra jobs, increasing their income. I don’t think there are many agencies that discard this system once they try it!”
When 12 hours becomes 16
Other readers said the benefits can disappear when a long patrol shift is followed by a late call, unfinished reports, court or additional assignments.
“I think if 12-hour shifts really mean 12-hour shifts, there is value in implementing them — both to benefit officers and agencies. I believe they work in agencies that rarely require overtime, and that limit off-duty judicial appearances. Otherwise, I think they are problematic for both officers and for agencies.”
One reader who had worked both schedules said 8-hour days left more usable time on workdays, while the first day off after a run of 12-hour shifts often became a recovery day.
“I have worked 8-hour shifts and 12-hour shifts. For my specific case, no, I do not think the 12-hour shift improves wellness. I was fortunate to land a position at our PD that is on a M-F 8-hour schedule, and I much prefer that. 12-hour shifts are like working a day-and-a-half every workday, and that’s before you get stuck with a late call, or a ton of paper at the end of the shift. 8-hour days still give me time to do something else every day when I get finished with my shift. On 12-hour days, I only wanted to workout, eat, sleep, get up and do it all over again. It was harder to fit family time in. The days off during the week were nice, but day #1 was usually a recovery day (especially after working 36 hours every other weekend). I guess I prefer fewer hours per day — more days per week. That allows me to balance work/family time better.”
Staffing also shaped how readers viewed the schedule. One officer said the promised benefits did not materialize at an understaffed department, particularly for night-shift officers expected to attend court during the day.
“Hasn’t worked for my department. Staffing is still short, which admin said would be fixed by going to 12 hours. Saying more officers would be on the patrol shifts. The 7-to-7 hours aren’t helpful when dealing with night officers going to court. Court isn’t required to work with the PD schedule, so officers are getting morning and afternoon court. Ergo, officers are not getting enough sleep before coming into work. Also, if working night shift, the officer is actually working 7 hours into their first day off. So their first day of is actually only a half day and they probably need to sleep for a section of it. So much for ‘officer wellness.’ The department had transitioned from a 6 on, 3 off schedule (8-hour days).”
Fixed shifts versus rotating days and nights
Several readers said the length of the workday was only part of the equation. Moving repeatedly between day and night shifts, they said, can make it difficult to establish a consistent sleep schedule.
“I’ve worked both 8-hour patrol shifts and 12-hour patrol shifts after my department switched to them. Eight-hour shifts, in my opinion, are much better for officer well-being. While the amount of days off are nice with 12-hour shifts, the rotating between nights and days is miserable. Twelve hours is also too long of a day on patrol and allows for very little personal time on work days. Eight-hour shifts allowed me more time with my family even on work days, including midnight shifts, as ours didn’t start until 10:30 p.m. If a department is worried about the younger officer having weekends off, give a set days-off rotation for officers to go on and let seniority decide which shift they prefer. Otherwise, as my department has always stated, “put in your time” if you want the weekends off.”
Another veteran officer said the regular three-day weekends were valuable, but the physical and mental demands outweighed that benefit over time.
“I have worked 36 years in law enforcement and have experience working 8, 10 and 12-hour shifts. My last five years have been on the 12-hour shift model rotating every 8 weeks between days and nights. It is beneficial to be off every other Friday through Sunday. However, the 12-hour shift is physically and mentally grueling, even with the three-day weekend twice per month. The 8- and 10-hour shifts provided for less total days off but better rest and sleep as a whole. The on-duty days are very difficult as one gets little sleep, especially if you add in training, court etc. 12-hour shifts would be more tolerable on a fixed shift model and not rotating. The 12-hour shift just isn’t a long-term benefit in terms of rest, health, and preparedness for duty. Another important consideration is to ensure adequate leave is available to officers and a suitable number of officers are working every shift. I worked for a department that was always short-staffed. Answering every call on a busy summer weekend for 12 hours isn’t sustainable. All in all I feel the 8-hour shift is still the best all around.”
Facebook readers weigh the tradeoffs
Police1 readers on Facebook echoed many of the same themes, with several saying a fixed assignment may matter more than whether a shift lasts eight, 10 or 12 hours.
“The length of shift is not as important as staying on a shift. Switching back and forth between nights and days doesn’t allow your body to get used to a sleep schedule”
Others said their agencies had used 12-hour schedules successfully for years, particularly when the rotation included every other weekend off.
“When our department went to 12 hours, most officers really liked them. The system we went to an officer had every other weekend off. Great incentive for newer officers. That was about 12 years ago. Most officers still like them. Never going to satisfy everyone.”
“Worked many different shifts in the last 20+ years. The 12-hour shift with every other Friday-Sunday off is great. Permanent days and nights seem to fit well with those that like it; the month of days and month of nights were tough. But overall, the rotation gives great work-life balance; if you take away special assignments, court and any extra duties you volunteer for.”
Long shifts paired with mandatory overtime remained a concern, especially for officers at understaffed agencies.
“I have worked 41 continuous years in LE. I retired as a cop with 34 years of service in 2019. I have worked as a deputy sheriff for over seven years. I have worked many different patrol shifts. The PD I retired from was terribly understaffed. Officers being held over after shift was a common practice. I have worked all combinations of shifts. I prefer 10-hour shifts. 12 hours are challenging when being held over on OT.”
Another reader said factors such as age, commute and workload should be considered before an agency settles on a single model.
“I’ve worked eights, tens and twelves. A lot of it has to do with the officers’ age, distance from home, volume of work and other factors. Keep in mind, a 12-hour shift can turn into 16-hours with a late arrest, court the next day and additional ‘assignments.’ A combination of the three shifts works out best so a city or county always has coverage.”
For one reader, however, the additional time away from work made the schedule an easy choice.
“Great schedule, I worked nights 4 days on 4 days off. You will use less sick time, comp, holiday comp, and vacation. Plenty of time for off-duty details and family.”
The responses show why shift changes can be difficult to evaluate through the number of scheduled hours alone. A 12-hour model can offer predictable weekends and more full days off, but its effect on wellness may depend on whether shifts are fixed, overtime is controlled, court schedules are considered and enough officers are available to cover calls.
Do 12-hour patrol shifts improve officer wellness?
