Baltimore Police Department hiring more officers to cut down on overtime, commissioner says
The Baltimore Police Department has made strides to address the vacancies contributing to excessive officer overtime, Commissioner Richard Worley told members of the Baltimore City Council Tuesday night.
Recent staffing shortages have forced first responders across Baltimore to work copious amounts of overtime, taking a toll on both employee morale and city budgets. BPD spent $64 million on overtime in the 2024 calendar year, and the city's total overtime burden could reach $150 million in 2025, a May 22 hearing revealed.
Clearly expecting the council to grill him on the issue on Tuesday, Worley touted BPD's hiring efforts. The commissioner said his department has hired 47 new sworn officers, bringing its total to 2,023 after dipping below 2,000 officers last October. He also noted that applications for new officers are up 22% from last year.
BPD currently has 492 vacancies, but expects about 150 potential officers to graduate from its police academy by the end of 2025. An expansive ad campaign to recruit new officers from within the city is now in effect and will further boost recruitment, Worley said.
'By the early part of next year, I think we're going to be up close to where we only have about 350 vacancies, and it continues on that trend. In three or four years, we'll be up where we should be, which is 2,500 [sworn officers],' Workley said.
City Council President Zeke Cohen asked Worley how many of the 492 vacant positions had not been filled in at least 18 months. The commissioner replied it was the 'majority' of them. He said his more aggressive approach to boosting staffing would be 'different' from previous Commissioner Michael Harrison.
'He was my mentor, but I have a different opinion,' Worley said of Harrison. 'I think we will fill these positions within the next three to five years. Because right now, by the end of the year, I think we're gonna have 100 more cops than we have now.'
With the department about 80% staffed, the total number of overtime hours worked by BPD employees is expected to drop to 898,000 this year from 914,000 last year. The implementation of stricter overtime request approvals via the human resources software Workday has also helped manage the overload, Worley and Deputy BPD Commissioner Kevin Jones said.
The department's proposed $614 million budget for the 2026 fiscal year is a 3.57% increase over fiscal 2025 levels. A decline in state funding from $42.34 million last year to $36.83 million this year has prompted the city to pull considerably more from its operating budget for the police department.
The 'Criminal Investigation Division' and 'Compliance Bureau' services received the largest increases, getting about $9.5 million and $7.5 million more than in fiscal 2025, respectively.
Anticipated 'Police Patrol' expenses dipped slightly from about $226.5 million last year to $224.5 million this year. Despite the decrease, this service includes $4.2 million more in allocated funds for sworn overtime expenses than was seen in fiscal 2025.
Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iris Reeves, former Baltimore City councilmember, dies
Iris Reeves, who served in the Baltimore City Council and was a past president of the Baltimore League of Women Voters, died of heart failure May 23 at Springwell Senior Living in Mount Washington. She was 85. 'My mother was a woman of quiet strength, determination, and drive,' said her son, Norman V.A. Reeves III. 'Iris wanted to help people, and she did. She had a bright spirit that touched the people she encountered.' Born in Burlington, North Carolina, she was the daughter of Lucian Gant, a Western Electric painter, and Mabel Hazel Gant, a teacher. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Future Homemakers of America and played saxophone in the school band. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in social work at Howard University. While at Howard, she met her future husband, Norman V.A. Reeves Jr. They married in 1962. 'They bonded because they shared an affinity for jazz,' said her son. 'They settled in the Fairmount neighborhood near Windsor Hills. When the time came, they both fought the construction of the Interstate highway through Leakin Park and West Baltimore.' Ms. Reeves became a psychiatric social worker with the State of Maryland and continued as a school social worker and later a student placement specialist with Baltimore City Public Schools. She served in the Maryland Office of Personnel as a legislative specialist. She worked behind the scenes for her husband when he began campaigning for a seat in the Baltimore City Council from the old Fifth District of Northwest Baltimore. After waging several campaigns in the 1970s, he was elected in 1979 and became the first Black candidate to serve the district. After his 1983 death, the council voted to appoint her to fill his term. 'In three subsequent elections, my mother was reelected to the council by very substantial margins and became a powerful political voice in her own right,' her son said. 'She connected to people through grassroots and community forums. She knew her neighbors, too. She had an infectious smile, pleasant spirit and vibrant personality.' Former Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke said, 'Iris was a warm and sensitive person who loved constituent service.' A City Council colleague, Rochelle 'Rikki' Spector, said, 'When she came on the Council and joined Vera Hall and me, we three were like sisters. We had a close personal relationship that benefited all our constituents. Iris was quiet, loving, patient and kind. She was a peacemaker.' Popular in the community, she also served as a past president of the Baltimore League of Women Voters, League for the Handicapped, American Civil Liberties Union, Fairmount Neighborhood Association, New Democratic Coalition, Women's Power, Inc., Baltimore City Commission for Children and Youth, and the Leukemia Society. She enjoyed traveling with her husband. They decorated their home with African art. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Macedonia Baptist Church of Baltimore City, 718 W. Lafayette Ave. Survivors include her son, Norman V.A. Reeves III, of Hagerstown; two granddaughters; and a great-granddaughter. Her husband, Norman V.A. Reeves Jr., died in 1983. Her daughter, Traci A. Reeves, died in 1990. Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at and 410-332-6570.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘His memory will be cherished': Bowie police mourn loss of department's first K-9
BOWIE, Md. () — The Bowie Police Department (BPD) is mourning the loss of its very first K-9 to ever join the force. K-9 Rooster served with the department for six years. 'He was a loyal companion to our officers and our civilian staff,' the department stated on social media. 'K-9 Rooster made significant contributions to many arrests and assisted in narcotics and search warrant cases.' Aisha Braveboy projected winner for Prince George's County executive BPD said he was a beloved community figure, engaging in the department's National Night Out, making visits to schools and other City activities. 'His memory will be cherished. He will be greatly missed,' BPD stated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Bakersfield police warns of rise in GMC truck thefts, mostly in southwest Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Bakersfield Police Department issued an alert regarding General Motor truck thefts within the city on Wednesday. Over the past two months, the city of Bakersfield has seen an increase in the number of thefts of high-end GMC trucks, according to officials. Suspects have targeted GMC Sierra 1500 trucks and GMC Sierra 2500 HD trucks, both with the AT4 or Denali trim package, police said. The thefts mostly occurred in southwest Bakersfield neighborhoods along Panama Lane and Buena Vista corridors between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. The vehicles were stolen from the street near the victims' home or from their driveway, according to BPD. The suspects have not been identified yet. Police said the suspects used different types of vehicles to go to these places. Anyone with information about this trend or anyone who has seen suspicious activity related to this investigation are asked to contact BPD at 661-327-7111. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
