Hiring Off-Duty Officers

The rate of pay for extra-duty employees starting at $40 an hour. Requests for the hiring of an officer for extra-duty employment can be made through any Association Board member.

It is the policy of the Alexandria Police Department to prohibit any secondary employment that may impair on-duty efficiency or conflict with on-duty responsibilities, the City's Administrative Regulations (Ars) or written directives. The Police Chief will exercise the amount of control necessary to enforce this policy and may revoke an employee's secondary employment privilege at any time.

Alexandria Police Department Directive 4.17.01, Purpose and Policy

Employee - Any Police Department paid employee whether sworn, appointed or civilian.

Employee group - A group that represents a group of employees, such as the Alexandria Police Association, Police Union, (Committee on Police), and the Commander's Association.

Extra-duty Employment - Secondary employment wherein the actual or potential use of law enforcement powers is anticipated.

Law enforcement action - Any lawful action taken by a sworn or appointed employee during extra-duty employment in response to a criminal offense in progress, or which has been or is about to be committed, or in an attempt to preserve life and/or property.

Secondary Employment - Employment (extra-duty) in any business, or performance of any work or service, by an employee of the department, or a wage, salary, fee or any other compensation (including free or reduced rent), from any person, firm, corporation or entity other that the city.

Alexandria Police Department Directive 4.17.02 - Definitions

An employee may engage in extra-duty employment only when the employee's full police powers are in effect.

While engaged in extra-duty employment, an employee may be assigned to respond to a call for service. Such assignment will only be made with the approval of an on-duty supervisor. If assigned a call for service, the employee will respond immediately and will not return to the extra-duty employment until authorized to do so by a supervisor or dispatcher. If the employee remains on the assigned call for more than fifteen minutes, he/she will be officially placed in an on-duty status.

• Extra-duty employers may elect to retain the employee on the employer's payroll for the first fifteen minutes of such a return to on-duty status.
• Compensation for any law enforcement action initiated by an employee or extra time spent on and extra-duty assignment, due to action taken on behalf of the extra-duty employer (e.g., an arrest related to the extra-duty assignment) is the responsibility of the extra-duty employer.

Employees will wear the standard Police uniform and carry a radio, and may use any other issued or authorized equipment, including any available police vehicle, while engaged in any approved extra-duty employment.

The police department will compensate the employee for court appearances that result from the employee's extra-duty employment, if such court appearances are related to the exercise of police powers.

The department and/or city may provide liability, disability and worker's compensation insurance coverage to an employee engaged in approved extra-duty employment only when the employee is required to take law enforcement action during such employment. Actions taken by an employee on behalf of an extra-duty employer that do not directly involve law enforcement actions are not covered by the city's or the department's insurance plans. The Association strongly recommends that extra-duty employers obtain coverage for injuries on the job site and circumstances not specifically involving law enforcement actions, as well as for any personal liability the employer may incur form an employee's actions on the employer's behalf.

Any damage to an employee's uniform or to any department-issued equipment or property, unless incurred during a law enforcement action, is the responsibility of the extra-duty employer.

Employees are not permitted to engage in any type of secondary employment activity that involves the enforcement or execution of any form of “house rules” including but not limited to; searches of persons or property without legal justification; solicitation, request for collection of any fees, costs, or other expenses; or any other action outside the scope of law enforcement actions authorized by law.

Police employees will not engage in any extra-duty employment unless the employer agrees to assist in prosecution of any case in which the Police employee takes law enforcement action based on the report or complaint of a crime of the employee's own observation.

Alexandria Police Directive 4.17.04 - Requirements

The following types of secondary employment are prohibited:

• Employment as a bill collector, repossessor, or collection agent of any kind, including the distribution of late rent notices.
• Employment as a private investigator or detective, civil process server or unarmed security guard.
• Employment in the interior of establishments where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises and where the primary purpose of the employment is the control of disorderly customers. All details at such establishments will be worked in uniform, and will be for exterior and/or perimeter security only. Specifically prohibited are the enforcement of “house” rules, routine weapons “pat downs” and alcohol level screenings at the establishment's entrance.
• Employment that could require access to confidential police records, files, correspondence or other information that is not available to the general public.
• Employment in a capacity which could directly or indirectly interfere with the proper and efficient performance of the employee's police duties, or could have a detrimental effect of the image of the police department.
• Employment at establishments that fail to comply with all federal, state and local laws.
• Employment that would place the employee in an actual or potential conflict of interest situation.
• Employees will not engage in extra-duty employment outside the city limits.
• Employees are prohibited from searching bags, purses, clothing, etc., unless there is legal justification for such a search or unless consent, based on articulable belief that evidence or contraband will be found, has been obtained from the person to be searched.
• Employees will not use or permit the usage of their title, badge, uniform, rank, Police Department or City name or other item relating to their employment by the City, in any advertising, written correspondence, or other media, whether printed, broadcast or electronic, by their secondary employer without the written consent of the Chief of Police.

Alexandria Police Department Directive - 4.17.06 - Restrictions