Investigation Finds Weak Oversight on Moonlighting Police Officers Enabling Misconduct

Widespread Moonlighting by Police Officers

• 👮 Many police officers work second jobs in security at businesses, bars, and nightclubs after their regular shifts, providing extra income and increasing the visible presence of uniformed officers.
• 🤝 These off-duty jobs are often sanctioned by their agencies, allowing officers to act as peace officers in various community settings like sporting events and concerts.

Weak Oversight and Accountability Issues

• 🔍 A CBS News investigation, in collaboration with Arizona State University's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, found that oversight on these off-duty jobs is weak in many police departments nationwide.
• 📊 Nearly a third of the departments reviewed do not have a formal process for approving or tracking officers' side jobs, nor do they limit their hours.
• ⚠️ This lack of oversight has allowed officers with serious disciplinary histories to continue working off-duty, sometimes leading to misconduct.

Troubling Incidents of Off-Duty Misconduct

• 🚨 In Houston, an off-duty deputy involved in a sexual assault case was approved for off-duty work even while on probation for previous suspensions.
• 💥 Incidents across the country include an off-duty officer kneeling on a handcuffed man's neck in Kansas City, an officer knocking a man unconscious while working bar security in Fort Worth, and an off-duty deputy using a taser on a cab driver in Ohio.
• 🗣️ In many of these cases, the officers involved either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for information.

Benefits and Concerns of Off-Duty Work

• 💰 Police departments argue that moonlighting improves public safety by placing officers in areas that might otherwise lack security and allows officers to earn extra income.
• ⚖️ However, the investigation highlights significant concerns about accountability and the potential for abuse when oversight is insufficient, as seen in the case of Shannita Terrell, who was harmed by an off-duty officer hired by a club.