Overtime pay owed to police officers will be subject of Senate hearing

Sen. Gregorio Matías Rosario

By The Star Staff

Sen. Gregorio Matías Rosario, who chairs the Public Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee in the upper chamber, announced on Monday the holding of a public hearing this week under Senate Resolution 81 to investigate the failure to pay compensatory time in excess of the 480-hour limit accumulated by members of the Puerto Rico Police, both active and retired.

For years, current and retired police officers have raised the flag about this situation, denouncing that the state has failed to meet its obligation to make timely payments for excess hours worked, which continue to accumulate without financial compensation or recognition upon their retirement, the senator noted. There have been documented cases of officers owed more than $12,000, an amount that severely impacts their livelihood and financial planning.

“This is not just an administrative or fiscal matter; it is a demand for justice for the men and women who have given everything for the safety of the people of Puerto Rico,” Matías Rosario said. “We have retired police officers waiting for money that is theirs, and active police officers who, even under difficult conditions, continue to serve with dedication while facing uncertainty about whether they will be paid what they are legally entitled to.”

One of the officers’ biggest complaints, the senator noted, is the lack of transparency on the part of the responsible agencies regarding the handling and projection of the excess payments. Many officers report not receiving clear information about the mechanisms for claiming accrued pay or the status of their compensation, Matías Rosario said. The situation has generated deep distrust and indignation within the police force, while the personnel crisis caused by retirements, resignations and a lack of new recruits has deepened, he said.

Some have had to resort to legal means to try to claim what they are owed, while others simply resign themselves to the fact that the money will never arrive, the senator said.

The main purpose of the public hearing is to oversee compliance by relevant agencies, including the Department of Public Safety and the Police Bureau, and to require the submission of concrete plans and payment schedules. It also seeks to clarify the total accumulated debt, available funding sources, and the immediate steps that will be taken to settle the obligation.

The hearing will be held this Wednesday at 10 a.m., in the Leopoldo Figueroa Hall of the Capitol in Puerta de Tierra.