SUNBURY— The eleven Sunbury police officers will face a schedule change effective immediately. Mayor David Persing made the change to 8-hour shifts, down from their previous 12- hour shifts.
Persing says officers were working three to four twelve hour days and the change will benefit the city, “It just doesn’t make sense to work those kinds of hours so you’re going to get more relaxed officers. Guys with more sleep and I just believe we will get more opportunity for them to protect the lives of the citizens and the properties of our city.”
The Mayor also says in the contract a mayor is the only one allowed to make these changes, “Clearly in the contract is says that the mayor and the mayor alone has the right to change those schedules for any given reason and I have less officers. We have all kinds of reasons, productions in itself.”
It is now up to the police union to accept the change or take the matter to arbitration. The change in schedule comes after two officers were suspended last month. (Lauren Koch)