Metropolitan Police Officers in Great Britain earned a total of £109 million (approximately $170 million) in overtime pay for working extra hours in 2010-11.
The highest overtime recipient received £69,000 ($107,000) on top of his basic salary of £43,000 ($67,000). Most payments went to “specialist protection officers” who perform overseas work, according to a story in The Independent.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said the overtime pay was “essential to maintain operational effectiveness…There are times when there is a genuine need to call on officers to work beyond their scheduled hours.”
While the overtime beneficiaries no doubt performed essential services for the department, one must note that they could have hired a second person at the same base salary for about 2/3rd the price of what they paid in overtime.
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