Bossier City K-9 handlers need overtime pay for at-home care, police and fire chiefs say

Bossier City police and fire department chiefs told the Bossier City Council on Tuesday that personnel who handle canines need to be provided overtime pay for the care they give the animals at home after their official working hours are over.

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime compensation for non-exempt canine handlers, according to two ordinances up for adoption with the city council.

Dogs can be trained and used by police and fire personnel to detect explosives, accelerants and drugs. Outside of working hours, they are cared for at the homes of their handlers, with tasks including feeding and bathing.

“It’s really a full-time job” for the canine handlers, said Traci Landry, public information officer for BCPD. “After hours you’re staying with the animal and caring for them.”

The Bossier City Police Department is requesting that the budget be amended to provide $104,282 in overtime pay for five K-9 officers to compensate for the time devoted to the animals while at home.

The Bossier City Fire Department is requesting that the budget be amended to provide $13,877 in overtime pay for one non-exempt canine handler for the same reason.

Funds for both would be used from the 2018 and 2019 general fund balance.

Landry said the amount of overtime required to care for the dogs after hours was determined by the departments and the K-9 handlers.

City Attorney Jimmy Hall said it would be an “unfunded liability” if the departments don’t determine a way to compensate the handlers for that specific overtime work.

“You can’t have your guys working overtime and not pay them and compensate them for that and be okay under the Fair Labor and Standards law,” he said.

One councilmember questioned whether money could be saved over time if, instead of caring for the dogs at home, the city built a secure kennel where the animals could be housed outside of working hours.

“I’ve looked at a lot of kennels that I think we need to put up here,” Councilman Don Williams said. “We could save money over a couple of years to do that.”

Bossier City Police Chief Shane McWilliams said that if the city were to build kennels for the dogs, it would still need to account for staffing and security to ensure the dogs are protected and cared for.

“You can’t just leave them alone, unattended,” McWilliams said. “You’re going to have to have it secure, where the general public doesn’t have access, somebody (won’t) come up and mess with the dogs, poison the dogs, something like that.”

The council approved introducing both ordinances. Williams said he would like to talk with the chiefs about budget-related questions before voting on final adoption at the Dec. 18 regular meeting.

“They have two weeks to get your questions answered and worked out,” Councilman David Montgomery said.