Among Washington, D.C.’s most important landmarks, is the new National Law Enforcement Museum that has been recently constructed by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Its immersive mission is to provide a day-in-the-life experience of what it’s like to be a law enforcement officer. The museum’s developers acknowledge a current disconnect between law enforcement and some communities. They hope the museum, through storytelling and interactive displays and exhibits, will help build a bridge between the public and law enforcement.

Brett and Sherry Rowley, Co-Founders of Off Duty Services (ODS), attended the opening ceremony on Thursday, October 11th, 2018. In attendance were Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, and and retired Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. The ceremony included a ribbon cutting by the honorary chairman, Clint Eastwood, and concluded with a rendition of “God Bless America” by Boston (MA) Police Officers alongside the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Voices in Motion Choir.

“It is an honor for Off Duty Services to sponsor and participate in such a noble cause,” said Sherry Rowley. “Further, it was exciting to attend the National Law Enforcement Memorial Museum opening in Washington D.C. and see the law enforcement community be recognized for their important contributions.”

Here at Off Duty Services, we appreciate our law enforcement officers for all of their dedication, sacrifices and determination to keep our communities safe. By this week being Police Week, a week when we give gratitude to officers who have given the ultimate sacrifice, we can bring light to the men and women that serve our communities and honor these individuals for all they have done. ODS thanks you for your service, sacrifice and protection. #policeweek

During Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, increased security at affected sites became a necessity for many companies. An exponential amount of assignments from varying industries created a huge influx of hours for off duty police officers. Under these extreme instances, many of the off duty officers who worked, took time off from their agency so they could be available to assist in the recovery efforts for an extended period of time. As the assignments came to a close, officers tallied their hours worked and submitted their time for pay. The companies who employed these officers have negotiated pay rates and terms prior to engaging the officers. Even so, there were many reports of officers who were not being paid in a timely manner and disputes over not honoring pay rates that were agreed upon.

The benefits of being paid in a timely manner are highly sought after in any line of work. None more so than in an industry such as off duty employment, where officers chasing paychecks has been an industry norm from the very early years. This not only affects the officers, but the end users as well. Officers that are not paid on time are less inclined to work for that location during future assignments. Whether that officer is working for the end user directly or through a third party, the perception of lack of payment always falls to the end user. Due to these concerns, Off Duty Services (ODS) places heavy value on paying officers weekly and invoicing their customers on a monthly basis. Through the experience officers had with ODS during past natural disasters, ODS was able to mobilize 100’s of officers to the affected areas without the teams questioning payroll issues.

Image: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

The Off Duty Services (ODS) team works closely with their clients on a regular basis to ensure that their security needs are met.  ODS is also there to support our clients in the face of a crisis event or natural disaster. In the month of late August and early September, Hurricane Harvey and Irma both affected the coasts of the U.S. creating State of Emergencies, thus, making it impossible to outsource off duty police from the affected areas. By having a national capability, ODS was able to recruit 100’s of off duty officers outside the affected areas and deploy them quickly where they were needed for extended periods of time.