Baltimore City Councilman Ken Harris is calling for quarterly overtime reports in the wake of six police officers? suspensions in connection with an internal police investigation into overtime abuse.
“We need the department to report directly to the Council on overtime,” Harris told The Examiner.
Harris said he will introduce a resolution at the Feb. 12 Council meeting asking the Police Department to submit detailed quarterly reports on overtime spending.
Harris said the resolution will outline specific areas of overtime spending that should be reported to the Council.
“It should be broken down by district, as well as give specific information on how overtime is used for enforcement,” he said. “Overtime spending is an ongoing problem that requires better oversight from the council, and better planning.”
Baltimore City Police Department spokesman Matt Jablow said the department has spent $21 million on overtime for fiscal 2007, which is $13 million more than the $8.7 million budgeted for the entire year.
“Overtime is used for enforcement,” Jablow said.
Harris also publicly criticized the department for exceeding its overtime budget.
“A reporting system will allow us to monitor the situation and let us know what we?re getting for our money,” he said.
