{"id":174278,"date":"2026-02-12T01:22:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/174278\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T01:22:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:22:07","slug":"oakland-police-say-theyre-investigating-overtime-issues-revealed-by-oaklandside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/174278\/","title":{"rendered":"Oakland police say they’re investigating overtime issues revealed by Oaklandside"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story was produced in partnership with the\u00a0Investigative Reporting Program<\/a>\u00a0at UC Berkeley Journalism.<\/p>\n

One week after The Oaklandside published an article<\/a> examining an Oakland police officer\u2019s $490,000 in overtime pay and OPD\u2019s lack of records tracking the officer\u2019s activities, the police department responded by opening an investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Oakland Police Department (OPD) is aware of the allegations made in your article,\u201d a department spokesperson said in a statement to The Oaklandside. \u201cThe matter is under investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Oaklandside\u2019s report found that Lieutenant Timothy Dolan, a 23-year veteran officer who leads the traffic unit, earned a paycheck of roughly $711,000 in 2024. Dolan was OPD\u2019s highest-paid officer in 2024 and the city\u2019s highest-paid employee. The majority of his compensation was from overtime. Dolan reported working more than two and a half times the number of hours in a normal full-time job, raising concerns about officer safety and wellness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The department was unable to produce documentation for almost half of Dolan\u2019s overtime hours, raising more questions about OPD\u2019s management of overtime.<\/p>\n

The police department said it would not provide further details about who or what their newly opened investigation is focused on. It could be a review of overtime policies and procedures by the department\u2019s leadership, or it could be an internal affairs case to examine whether Dolan\u2019s use of overtime was within department policy.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement she is concerned about the findings of The Oaklandside\u2019s investigation and is monitoring the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese allegations in the reporting are concerning,\u201d said Mayor Lee in a statement. \u201cI\u2019m aware that OPD is investigating this matter, and I will be in close contact with the department to review the findings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after the publication of our investigation, Lt. Dolan\u2019s photo and name were removed from the Oakland Police Officer Association\u2019s website<\/a>. Dolan served as vice president in the police union. That elected position is now filled by Lt. Omar Daza-Quiroz.<\/p>\n

Police union spokesperson Sam Singer said Dolan decided not to run for reelection in January because he \u201cwanted to give another officer the opportunity to serve and gain experience as a union leader.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

An \u201coutstanding officer who exemplifies dedication\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to our reporting, OPOA president Huy Nguyen defended Dolan, saying we unfairly singled him out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Calling him an \u201coutstanding officer who exemplifies dedication, professionalism, and service to this city and its residents,\u201d Nguyen said Dolan works mandatory sideshow operations, wrote the city\u2019s sideshow policing policy, trains newly hired officers, and is a subject matter expert on traffic and sideshow enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis name is likely on more traffic fatality reports than almost anyone in this city \u2014 not because he sits behind a desk, but because he shows up, again and again, when lives are lost and accountability is required. The Oaklandside story barely scratches the surface of the work he does to protect this city, its residents, and businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

The data we obtained about Dolan\u2019s overtime showed that he spent approximately 200 hours working on fatal traffic collisions. He spent another roughly 800 hours reviewing collision reports for style inconsistencies and vehicle code corrections. But a big chunk of his overtime lacked documentation, making it impossible to determine how he spent that time.<\/p>\n

Department spokespeople did not respond to questions about whether Dolan was ordered to spend overtime reviewing collision reports or whether this was of his own initiative.<\/p>\n

The Oakland police officers\u2019 union strongly defended its members\u2019 use of overtime<\/p>\n

Our investigation of overtime<\/a> revealed that Dolan worked lengthy consecutive shifts, hours that raised concerns about safety and well-being.<\/p>\n

Following publication, we asked Nguyen and Singer if they have concerns about how OPD manages overtime, or about the wellness of officers working extreme overtime hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In response, Nguyen, a sergeant who, like Dolan, has worked extensive overtime in recent years, said he believes our reporting was based on a civilian city union report, which he called \u201cbiased.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our investigation, however, was primarily based on police documents and data we obtained through public records requests. We analyzed these records and provided our findings to Dolan and OPD, and offered them multiple opportunities to speak with us before publication. After providing us with initial statements, Dolan and the department stopped responding.<\/p>\n

In comments to us last week, Nguyen said OPD\u2019s inability to stay within its approved yearly overtime budget \u2014\u00a0 which contributes to the city\u2019s structural deficit \u2014 is because of the department\u2019s severe staffing shortage.<\/p>\n

\u201cMandatory overtime in Oakland is not a choice made by police officers \u2014 it is a consequence of years of poor decision-making by the Mayor and City Council that have left the Oakland Police Department dangerously understaffed,\u201d said Nguyen. \u201cMost Oakland police officers would gladly give up overtime if it meant spending more time with their families and getting proper rest. But that option simply does not exist today.\u201d<\/p>\n

OPD is understaffed. Only 618 of 678 authorized police officer positions are currently filled, and because of officers who are on some type of leave, the department only has an operational strength of 495, according to the most recent tally<\/a>. Many believe OPD needs at least 877 officers<\/a> to provide the level of services to the city that elected officials and residents expect.<\/p>\n

The union report that Nguyen characterized as biased was issued last year by several labor groups that represent civilian city employees. IFPTE Local 21, SEIU Local 21, and IBEW 1245\u2019s \u201cSmarter Public Safety\u201d<\/a> report identified OPD\u2019s overspending on overtime as a \u201cprimary driver\u201d of the city\u2019s budget deficits. The unions found that \u201coverspending has occurred regardless of budgeted or actual officer staffing levels.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The report also showed that over the past several years, backfill \u2014 a type of overtime typically used to fill vacancies caused by understaffing \u2014 has dropped by over 40%. Shift extensions, meanwhile \u2014 which are officer-initiated and, according to OPD\u2019s overtime policy, usually do not require prior approval from supervisors \u2014 have increased.<\/p>\n

Calling them \u201crival\u201d unions, Nguyen said they \u201ctrumped up a misleading report in May 2025 to score political points against police officers who are stretched to the breaking point.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese three unions, led by IFPTE Local 21, are city hall unions and do nothing to protect the public as Oakland Police Officers do every day and every night,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Oaklandside cited one finding from the unions\u2019 report showing that increased staffing at OPD historically hasn\u2019t necessarily reduced the department\u2019s overtime. The core of our investigation into Dolan\u2019s overtime hours, however, was based on hundreds of pages of records and data the police department provided us.<\/p>\n

\u201cOaklandside\u2019s and the city hall \u2018worker\u2019 unions\u2019 approach may generate clicks, but it does not inform the public or reflect the conditions that OPD officers face every day,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n

When asked if the unions\u2019 overtime report contained any factual errors, Singer said the report is a \u201cself-serving interpretation of data,\u201d and he accused the city\u2019s civilian employee unions of trying to \u201cgain money for themselves at the expense of Oakland residents, small businesses, and visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to Nguyen and Singer\u2019s comments, IFPTE Local 21 vice president Julian Ware said, \u201cOur union is dedicated to one thing above all else, and that\u2019s serving the residents of Oakland. That\u2019s why we are always looking for ways, across city departments, to put Oaklanders\u2019 tax dollars to the best use possible. We think the reforms we advocate for ultimately benefit everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

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