The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Staff Association Chairman Sgt Sonny Miller has confirmed more than 1,800 officers have received, in part or in full, overtime payments stemming from 12-hour shifts worked in 2013 and 2014.

Sergeant Miller in an interview with The Tribune on Tuesday, indicated 1,700 officers still enlisted with the Royal Bahamas Police Force have received the second tranche of payments due to them.

Additionally, he indicated approximately 150 former officers received lump sum payments via cheques available for pick up as of yesterday.

Sgt Miller, who has often referred to his communication with the Minnis administration as “great,” yesterday said he was “satisfied and happy” with the government’s “serious approach to getting officers their money.”

Sgt Miller also said he has already been made aware of when the remaining two tranches of payments will be made, but refused to say.

He told The Tribune: “This has been a long time coming and I am satisfied and happy by the government’s effort to do right by officers. Throughout our discussions, there has been a serious approach to getting officers their money.”

He added: “We are still talking about the last two payments, I am aware of when they are scheduled for, but I don’t want to disclose that at this time. But I am grateful for what the government has done and continues to do.”

About 1,799 officers from the rank of constable to inspector were given their first tranche of overtime pay in late May.

It came after years of wrangling. In May 2016, the Court of Appeal upheld Supreme Court Justice Milton Evans’ ruling that a Force Order issued by former Police Commissioner Paul Farquharson in 2003 was relevant as it mandated that public officers be paid when they work for more than 40 hours in a normal work week.

At the time, the PSA had estimated if money is given to officers, the government would end up paying as much as $16.4m in overtime pay. The court’s ruling, however, allowed the government to either give the officers time back or give some combination of financial compensation and time-off.

The police commissioner decided last year to give officers time off and to give financial compensation only to those who worked overtime during the time period but had since retired or died.

However, after years of stalling on police overtime pay, the Christie administration announced about two weeks before the general election that officers would be paid in stages, with the first payment set for May 29.

He made the announcement days before officers voted in the general election’s advance poll.