Police Off-Duty Information

The Medina Police Department recognizes that there are appropriate private events and/or circumstances in
which the event organizers may be concerned for the safety and wellbeing of their guests and will request one
or more off-duty police officers be present to keep the peace. Similarly, details to increase the security of a
property or a resident may also warrant the employment of an off-duty police officer. As these events are
outside the standard police services and protection provided to the general public, the organizer will be charged
the officer's overtime rate to work the event in an off-duty capacity.

Any community member or organization wishing to hire an officer for law enforcement-related work should
contact the Medina Police Department a minimum of one week prior to the event date, as all requests must be
reviewed by the Chief of Police (or their designee) for approval and an agreement form signed. All private duty
assignments are on a voluntary basis, so requests may not be approved due to insufficient time to arrange for an
off-duty officer to be available. The Medina Police Department reserves the right to decline to provide
personnel for an off-duty event at their sole discretion and without the need to provide a reason or justification.

Officers performing off-duty assignments will do so in their official capacity as a police officer. The officer(s)
may be in full uniform with department equipment, including the use of an official and fully-marked patrol
vehicle, if so desired by the event organizers. Officers may also be requested to wear plain clothes (i.e. business
attire, business casual, etc.) but they will be outfitted with an inconspicuous ballistic vest underneath their
clothing and will be armed at all times without exception. Officers will be required to follow departmental
policies and procedures and will enforce all applicable Washington State laws and City of Medina or Town of
Hunts Point ordinances should they encounter activity or incidents requiring law enforcement intervention that
occur at or in connection with the event.

The hourly rate is calculated using the officer's overtime rate (1 ½ times regular hourly wage) plus required
basic benefits such as social security, L&I, unemployment insurance, retirement, etc. There is a three (3) hour
minimum charge for each officer with a maximum of twelve (12) hours per officer in a 24-hour period. Events
falling on a holiday are subject to an increased rate of pay over the officer’s regular overtime rate of pay. The
hourly rate can differ between different police personnel. Personnel hired to work the off-duty event is based on
availability, and the requestor cannot dictate which police personnel work the event to minimize costs or for any
other reason. Events that end prior to the scheduled end time for the off-duty detail will still be invoiced for the
originally scheduled hours. Use of a patrol vehicle adds an additional charge of $10.00 per hour per vehicle.

An estimated range of hourly rates can be provided verbally based on current pay rates at the time of the event
if requested prior to submitting an official request for off-duty police services. Once personnel are scheduled for
the event, an official cost summary will be provided to the event organizer, and the agreement must be signed
by all parties prior to the start of the event. Tips, gratuities or gifts are not allowed to be accepted by our
officers. Negligible offerings (such as a glass of water or a modest food item) are acceptable but not expected.
Emergencies requiring an immediate response when the off-duty officer(s) is/are not immediately present at the
location of the emergency dictate a call to 911.

A completed application and agreement form are needed to start the process of employing an off-duty police
officer. The event point of contact will be sent an invoice via email within the week following the event.
Payment can be made via check mailed or hand-delivered to the Medina Police Department or by credit card in person
at Medina City Hall.

For more information and/or to request off-duty police services at a private event, contact Captain Austin Gidlof
at agidlof@medina-wa.gov or by phone at (425) 233-6430.