Patrol Shift Changes to Revolutionize Crime Fight, Baltimore Police Say

Baltimore police and city officials say a new police patrol schedule will put more officers on the streets at the most needed times, give officers more time off, and cut overtime spending, reports the Baltimore Sun .

If it sounds too good to be true, Baltimore officials say it's not — it's just a change several years overdue.

Starting Sunday, city patrol officers will no longer work five eight-hour days per week on one of three patrol shifts. Instead, they will work four 10-hour days on one of four daily shifts.

The changes, made possible by a new union contract approved last year, give commanders greater flexibility. Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said residents will notice more officers driving and walking in their blocks as police deploy them based on crime statistics, calls for service and other "empirical data."