Interim Police Chief David Westrick made it clear Tuesday that Capt. Carlos Reynoso – who uses a patrol car to commute about 45 miles each way and pays 5 cents mileage for it – is not alone in the department by working four-day work weeks.
Westrick said much of the department works four-day weeks with 10-hour shifts – including the interim chief and Reynoso – and pointed out is a common practice in police departments.
As for the Hollister Police Department, Westrick said officers work three 12-hour shifts; detectives work four 10-hour shifts; and the records division employees work four 10-hour shifts.
“What it allows us to do is a couple things,” Westrick said. “It allows us to work longer hours and, especially when you’re talking about police officers, with so few staff members, it allows us to put the maximum number of officers on a shift.”
With overall staffing down about 40 percent in the past 10 years, Westrick said it allows the department to have three officers and a supervisor on each shift and produces less overtime.
Reynoso in a recent report cited his long commute as one reason for his switch to four days, which occurred under Chief Jeff Miller before he retired in April.
Hollister council members in February voted 4-1 to allow Reynoso to continue commuting with a patrol car, but at 5 cents per mile, with no additional costs. Miller decided to allow Reynoso to commute in a patrol car in 2009, with no charges, when he promoted him to captain.
Reynoso is set to take on interim chief duties in January, switching roles with Westrick, the other captain in the department.
