SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Tim Burgess has signed an order seeking to give the city more control over off-duty work done by police officers.
Burgess wants the Seattle Police Department to manage all off-duty work, such as traffic control at construction sites or parking garages, KOMO-TV reported. He signed the order Tuesday.
While officers previously have needed approval for off-duty assignments, the department has had limited oversight, with managers unable to determine how many hours the officers are working.
Two security firms have handled off-duty assignments, with one connected to the police union. A third firm that recently entered the market has complained of unfair competition, and The Seattle Times has reported that Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole has forwarded the matter to the FBI for investigation of potential price-fixing and intimidation.