County Executive John Leopold unveiled Tuesday a bill overriding an ethics commission ruling barring off-duty police officers from working security details at certain businesses that serve alcohol.
“Secondary employment by police officers not only provides supplemental income, but also provides police presence to combat crime,” Leopold said.
The bill allows officers to work security at restaurants and places of entertainment that serve alcohol, but not bars or taverns; it prohibits officers from serving alcohol and acting as bouncers. The off-duty officers still have policing powers.
According to Anne Arundel police, there have been:
» 12,500 incidents handled by off-duty police officers, totaling 21,800 hours
» 56,000 hours of secondary employment by officers annually;
» $1.5 million savings a year from off-duty police officers responding to calls.
“In hopeful support of the County Council, the Police Department will be able to grant secondary employment to its officers at various establishments that benefit the public by police presence,” Police Chief James Teare said in a statement.
The county Ethics Commission ruled July 2 that a conflict of interest exists between county police officers and county-regulated establishments, where both sides may try to use the relationship to their advantage other than for security.
“If local restaurants routinely require regular on-site police protection, then there are far larger issues facing the county than the issue of secondary employment for police officers,” the ruling said.
But some officials, including Council Chairman Ronald Dillon, R-Pasadena, disagree.
“As to moonlighting, I think they should be allowed to do so,” he said.
Because it is an emergency bill, it would go into effect 35 days sooner than a normal bill ? 10 days after council passage.
