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FAIRPLAY, Colo. — For some officers, a long commute could be a dealbreaker. For the Fairplay Police Department, it became the reason to rethink the traditional patrol schedule.
Their solution: a 48-hours-on, 96-hours-off schedule more commonly seen in the fire service.
But what makes the model work is a structured restorative rest policy designed to ensure officers can get meaningful sleep during 48-hour shifts.
For Sergeant Barbara Grover, the results have been hard to ignore.
The schedule was introduced as the department rebuilt after staffing dropped to just three officers in late 2023, pushing leaders to find new ways to attract lateral candidates — many of whom would need to commute.
“Since we’ve restarted, we’ve only lost two part-time officers to retirements,” Grover said. “So we have kept everybody that we hired since our restart, and I think that 48-hour schedule is really what makes a difference.”
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Low staffing sparks a new approach
At one point, the department was down to three officers.
After a new chief came in, the agency looked for ways to attract experienced lateral officers — particularly those willing to commute long distances into the mountain town, where housing costs can be a barrier.
The idea came from an unexpected place.
“We were actually just looking at Police1 and we saw an article on some departments using unusual schedules,” Grover said.
After researching nearby agencies, including neighboring Blue River, the department implemented the 48/96 model — and quickly scaled up hiring.
“We did a massive hiring,” she said.
Today, the department has nine officers, most of whom commute between 90 minutes and two hours.
Built for commuters and retention
For Fairplay, the schedule isn’t just a perk — it’s a recruitment tool.
“Everybody else commutes considerable ways between two hours to an hour and a half,” Grover said. “So this really makes a difference.”
Officers work a continuous 48-hour shift, followed by four days off — a structure that allows them to spend extended time at home or even take on additional work if needed.
That extended schedule is paired with a formal rest policy aimed at helping officers recover during their time on duty.
“It’s the thing that they brag about the most when we’re trying to put our name out there to other officers we might potentially want to recruit in the future, at trainings and such, the schedule is usually the first thing that comes up,” Grover said. “And I think that’s been the real huge benefit.”
The schedule has also helped with burnout.
“I think it’s just a really good schedule for an officer to recharge,” she said.
The schedule doesn’t just appeal to younger officers.
“Even one of our older officers, our veterans who generally are more salty than our younger guys, they love the schedule too. And they’re like, ‘Eh, I can handle a couple of callouts on a 48-hour shift and then go home and get caught up on sleep.’”
How the 48-hour shift works
Officers typically begin their shift between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., working 10–14 hours of proactive patrol before transitioning to on-call status.
Each shift includes designated primary and secondary on-call officers, ensuring coverage while allowing for rest.
A key component of the model is a structured rest policy designed to ensure officers can obtain meaningful sleep during their shift.
“If they’re called out in the middle of their sleep cycle, they’re allowed to get five hours of uninterrupted sleep,” Grover said.
According to department policy, officers are guaranteed a minimum of five hours of sleep per day. If that rest period is interrupted by a call, the five-hour sleep window resets.
Officers often “tag team” calls overnight to preserve that rest period, with supervisors stepping in when needed.
After completing their rest period, officers may return to active patrol for up to 16 consecutive hours, in line with labor regulations.
Sleeping quarters make it possible
Through a partnership with the nearby town of Alma, Fairplay officers have access to a substation equipped with sleeping quarters, a kitchenette and living space.
“That’s been the really nice thing that makes this work,” Grover said.
Officers are assigned individual sleeping rooms and have access to lockers, showers and shared living spaces while on shift. The facility also includes a common area that can be used by on-duty or off-duty personnel, and in limited cases, family members during extended incidents.
The setup allows officers to rest without being pulled into non-law enforcement calls, increasing the likelihood of getting meaningful sleep during their shift.
Benefits — and tradeoffs
While the schedule has improved retention and morale, Grover is clear that it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
“This is the schedule for long commutes,” she said.
There are operational challenges. In a major incident, calling in off-duty personnel can take time.
“It’s an hour and a half to 2 hours before we get the rest of the crew up,” Grover said.
Administrative work can also be more difficult to manage within the longer shifts.
“It’s a little more difficult to finish up all the reports,” she said, noting that supervisors must carefully prioritize workload to avoid excessive overtime.
The model also requires strict accountability, with officers expected to respond promptly to dispatch call-outs while on duty.
Training and communication also require more planning, often consolidated into periodic in-service sessions when the full team is together.
Not a magic fix — but a powerful tool
Grover emphasizes that the 48-hour model isn’t about doing more with fewer officers.
“It’s not a magical schedule that will let you do the absolute most with the fewest number of officers,” she said.
But when it comes to officer wellness and retention — especially in hard-to-staff areas — it can be a game changer.
“As far as keeping officers fresh in terms of wellness, I think this is probably one of the better ways to go,” Grover said.
Would you work a 48/96 schedule if it included a guaranteed sleep period? Why or why not?
