Springdale police move to 12-hour shifts after trial run

After getting approval from the borough on Tuesday, Springdale police officers will be operating on a 12-hour schedule for the next six months.

Springdale police Chief Derek Dayoub said the officers already have been working 12-hour shifts for the last 60 days as a trial run before the borough agreed to a new memorandum of understanding with the officers.

That means officers work three days per week rather than the standard five, eight-hour days.

Though the move means longer days for officers, Dayoub said, the fewer work days yield more leisure and family time. In the end, Dayoub said, the better work-life balance increases “officer wellness.”

“From everything so far and everybody I’ve talked to, I think it’s going well,” the chief said.

Springdale has become one of the several departments in the region to make the change: Harrison, Tarentum, Washington Township, Penn Hills and Latrobe are among them.

Plus, the move will likely “help the bottom line” of borough expenses, according to council member Dan Copeland.

With a fully staffed department, Copeland said he expects police to require less overtime using the 12-hour model, which will help limit costs for Springdale.

Though the 12-hour schedule will only extend six months while the department “gathers data,” Dayoub said he expects to see the model extend into the future.