Chief Kathleen O’Toole sincerely thanks the City Auditor both for the audit of department overtime released today and the ongoing collaboration during the audit process that has allowed the department to move forward with overtime tracking and control over the last year. This overtime audit was requested by Chief O’Toole in 2014 in order to ensure best business practices at the Seattle Police Department.
The audit outlines six key areas where SPD can improve its use of overtime, the amount of overtime it has available, controls over its use, and how special events overtime is being managed. The department has implemented many of these recommendations and continues to work to ensure overtime is being used responsibly and only when necessary in delivering police services to the community. SPD’s letter to the City Auditor, outlining its efforts, is available here (PDF).