The Shreveport Police Officers Association has filed a lawsuit against the City of Shreveport, alleging that officers are being illegally forced to work overtime under the threat of disciplinary action.
Background of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed in Caddo District Court, names the City of Shreveport, Police Chief Wayne Smith, Deputy Chief Michael Tyler, and Assistant Chief Colette Kelly as defendants. According to the petition, department leaders have continued to require or attempt to require officers to work overtime in violation of Louisiana law, despite a previous court ruling addressing the issue.
The suit cites Louisiana Revised Statute 33:2213(A), which limits the number of hours full-time paid patrol officers in municipalities the size of Shreveport can be required to work. Under the law, officers generally cannot be required to work more than 40 hours in a calendar week except during emergencies.
The association argues that the city has improperly relied on staffing shortages to justify mandatory overtime. The lawsuit says the Shreveport Police Department has been understaffed since 2019 and is currently more than 175 officers below its authorized staffing level.
Previous Court Ruling
According to the filing, the Louisiana Attorney General has previously determined that manpower shortages do not qualify as an emergency under the law. The lawsuit alleges officers who refuse mandatory overtime have been threatened with disciplinary action, including being written up, despite the absence of a legally recognized emergency.
The association also points to a May 2, 2022, Caddo District Court judgment that found the city violated the same statute when it disciplined three officers who refused mandatory overtime assignments. According to the lawsuit, the court ordered the city to reverse the disciplinary actions in that case.
Despite that ruling, the association contends the city has continued to require officers to work overtime under the threat of discipline. The plaintiffs are asking the court to issue a declaratory judgment stating the city’s actions violate state law and to grant an injunction prohibiting the city from requiring officers to work overtime beyond the statutory limits except as allowed by law.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
