Police union sues Shreveport over mandatory overtime

The suit was filed by the Shreveport Police Officer's Association and its president, Michael Carter, individually and on behalf of similarly situated officers employed by the department. The association says city officials have violated Louisiana Revised Statute 33:2213 by forcing officers to work overtime under threat of discipline.

According to the petition, state law limits the number of hours municipal police officers may be required to work except during emergencies. The union says the city's reliance on mandatory overtime stems from longstanding staffing shortages, not the type of emergency contemplated by state law.

The lawsuit says the department has been understaffed since 2019 and is currently more than 175 officers below its authorized staffing level. The plaintiffs say because the shortages have persisted for years, they cannot legally justify mandatory overtime.

The staffing shortage has been a recurring concern for city leaders. In April, Mayor Tom Arceneaux proposed creating a 12-officer transit unit dedicated to SporTran buses after a federal review identified safety concerns. The proposal drew immediate pushback from City Council members questioning whether the department could spare officers from regular patrol duties.

At the time, city officials said the department employed about 430 officers, roughly 100 below its authorized strength. Recruitment has remained a challenge despite recent pay increases. New Shreveport officers start at about $49,600 plus incentive pay and a $7,200 signing bonus, according to city recruiting materials.

"We are extremely short," Public Safety Committee Chairman Grayson Boucher said during the April meeting. "I am very concerned when we talk about taking ... officers out of your rotation."

Council Chairwoman Tabatha Taylor also questioned whether officers already stretched thin could absorb additional responsibilities.

"We already know that we have a shortage ... that's a real concern for me," Taylor said.

Councilmember James Green echoed those concerns, telling Police Chief Wayne Smith, "A person can only take so much. I feel for your officers."

The lawsuit also cites a 1992 Louisiana attorney general opinion concluding manpower shortages generally do not qualify as an emergency under state law and referenced a 2020 Louisiana appellate decision involving the Kenner Fire Department that reached a similar conclusion.

The lawsuit further points to a 2022 Caddo Parish court ruling involving the city. According to the petition, a judge previously found that staffing shortages did not constitute the type of emergency required under Louisiana law to compel mandatory overtime and that officers were improperly disciplined for refusing such assignments.

The plaintiffs say the city has continued the practice despite that ruling.

The union is not seeking monetary damages. Instead, it asks the court to declare the city's mandatory overtime policy unlawful and permanently prohibit officials from requiring officers to work overtime beyond the limits established by state law.

At time of publication, the city of Shreveport had not filed a response to the lawsuit.