Ala. PD switches to 12-hour shifts, aiming to improve officer wellness
Every Hoover patrol officer will now have every other Friday, Saturday and Sunday off, representing a change from the 8-hour system, where weekend days off were awarded based on seniority
July 14, 2026 01:11 PM •
Joanna Putman
HOOVER, Ala. — The Hoover Police Department has officially moved to 12-hour shifts in an effort to improve officer wellness, ABC 3340 reported
Under the schedule, every patrol officer will have every other Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. The weekend time off represents a change from the department’s previous 8-hour system, where weekend days off were awarded based on seniority and newer officers were required to request time off in order to have a free weekend
|How 8-, 10- and 12-hour police shifts really affect staffing and wellness
“We’re always looking at how can we best serve the public and how can we best take care of our officers,” Capt. Daniel Lowe told ABC 3340. “As we’ve been looking at the future of what the Hoover Police Department needs to look like, we were examining really everything that we’re doing.”
Department leaders hope that allowing officers more predictable time to spend with family and friends will create better work-life balance and attract new officers to the force
The Hoover Police Department is at 96% staffing, ABCC 3340 reported. Still, officials hope that the remaining positions can be filled by officers interested in the new system
“We’re wanting to provide the best level of service that we possibly can,” Lowe said. “The standard that we’ve always provided will remain the same.”
Do you think 12-hour patrol shifts improve officer wellness? Why or why not?
Police1 readers respond:
- Absolutely, it will reduce stress and improve home life.
- The older you get and still working patrol, the more you realize what a horrible decision it was to switch to 12-hour shifts. All the young guys who do not have families yet will realize they cannot attend family events and kids’ games like they would if they were on an 8-hour shift. On your long weekend, which has a base time of 36 hours, good luck not finishing your Sunday with over 40 hours. Never mind the midnight shift. All I can say is good luck.
- No, I do not. I worked them all and in my opinion, 12 hours is too long to spend in a patrol car and taking calls. The first day of the three days off you just sleep away due to being exhausted. You’re also not as alert during the time you’re 10-8. It’s not a matter of IF one of these civilians get killed; it’s when!!!!!! They will beg the police back.
- Without a doubt, 12-hour shifts are the way to go. In my career, we’ve worked 8-hour shifts and 10-hour shifts. The 12-hour shifts give the officer every other weekend off and promote more stability in their lives, giving them more family time together and more days off. It’s most definitely a win/ win situation for everyone!
- When I started in 1997, my department was on the Kelly System for 8-hour days (every 4th and 5th weekend off). We then went to set days off with a new chief. Since I was a rookie, my days off were Wednesday and Thursday (Yuck!). Another change in chiefs went back to Kelly. A push then began amongst the officers for 12-hour shifts. In the beginning, I loved them. As I got older, though, the 12-hour days got very long. The 36 hours in 3 days weekends were even longer, especially having to stay over on a Sunday to finish reports! The 12-hour shift though, are great for family life. I would recommend them over all the other shifts I have done.
- Worked this shift for years, and I think it’s the best option out there.
- I have worked 8-hour shifts and 12-hour shifts. For my specific case, no I do not think the 12-hour shift improves wellness. I was fortunate to land a position at our PD that is on a M-F 8-hour schedule, and I much prefer that. 12-hour shifts are like working a day-and-a-half every workday, and that’s before you get stuck with a late call, or a ton of paper at the end of the shift. 8-hour days still give me time to do something else every day when I get finished with my shift. On 12-hour days, I only wanted to workout, eat, sleep, get up and do it all over again. It was harder to fit family time in. The days off during the week were nice, but day #1 was usually a recovery day (especially after working 36 hours every other weekend). I guess I prefer fewer hours per day – more days per week. That allows me to balance work/family time better.
- I went from a department that was on an 8 hour schedule to a department with a 12 hour schedule. I’m truly happier with the 12 hour schedule. More time away from work is a great reset.
- I like 12hr shifts but not an every-other-week rotation.
- If you have never worked 12s or 24s, you have no idea how hard they are. Sounds like a problem with staffing and trying to control OT.
I would like to see follow-ups on this to see how it’s working, if it’s working, if FPD has made modifications, or if they got rid of it. I think it’s good that they are thinking outside the box!
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Joanna Putman
