Roughly 100 Oakland police officers off the job on extended leave — many of whom are awaiting the outcome of plodding misconduct-related investigations — are costing the city millions of dollars a year at a time when it faces both a budget deficit and an officer shortage, according to department data and reports reviewed by the Chronicle.
The absences mean that about 15% of the department’s 622 officers are on some sort of leave, exacerbating a chronic staffing shortage. A study commissioned by the City Council that was released this year found that the department is already about 250 officers short of being able to handle its workload. As a result, the department consistently blows past its overtime budget to fill gaps.
With Police Chief Floyd Mitchell set to retire Friday, the staffing woes and the costs associated with them are issues the next police chief will inherit…