RICHMOND — Four former members of ex-Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ security detail recently filed an unpaid overtime lawsuit against the city’s police department over allegations the office’s leaders halted all overtime payments over the perception of “wasteful government spending” but still required department officers to work overtime. In addition to providing protection, the complaint alleges that the Mayor asked Richmond police officers to transport him and his family to professional football games, run errands, and many other tasks not associated with the job duties of police officers protecting an elected official.
According to the unpaid overtime lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia, the former members of the Richmond Police Department’s Executive Protection Unit frequently worked more than 40 hours per week but did not receive one and a half times their average hourly wage. When created in 2005, the Executive Protection Unit consisted of 11 full-time members but was subsequently slashed to only five employees who were forced to work more hours than before, resulting in overtime.
The complaint states the officers frequently went on duty around 7:30AM, when the Mayor would summon them via text message, and remain on duty until the executive had concluded his duties for the day, usually after midnight. The lawsuit goes on to state the officers assigned to the Mayor’s protection typically worked six days a week, including Sundays when the detail would often transport the Mayor to see the Washington Redskins football team play in suburban Maryland.
In May 2015, the Chief of the Richmond Police Department allegedly told the Executive Protection Unit the officers could no longer claim overtime on their time sheets, going as far as to remove hours from payroll records of officers who failed to comply. The complaint seeks back pay with interest, liquidated damages, court costs, and attorneys fees to litigate the complaint and hold the city responsible for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Police Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit
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