Shift in work hours for Arlington Heights patrol officers, under new contract

Arlington Heights police officers will get a 3% raise — and those who patrol the streets will work a slightly different schedule — under a new one-year labor agreement approved Monday.

The new schedule for beat cops puts in place a nine-hour work day, in which they’ll report for duty five days straight, then get three days off.

Under the current schedule, officers assigned to the patrol bureau work 8½-hour days, and are assigned to work six days on followed by three days off.

The new arrangement is a pilot program, which takes effect in February 2026, officials said. It’s outlined in a memorandum of understanding between the village and Metropolitan Alliance of Police, Arlington Heights Police Chapter No. 510.

Village board members Monday night unanimously agreed to the memo and one-year extension of the police collective bargaining agreement. Both documents were also ratified by members of the union.

Village Manager Randy Recklaus said police department management and union leadership wanted a schedule that could achieve a better work-life balance for employees while maintaining high-quality services for the community.

The schedule will also allow better overlap during shift changes and give officers more time to follow up on administrative items, Recklaus added.

He also suggested the change could aid in recruitment efforts. Of the 109 sworn officers in the department, eight were hired this year, but another seven vacancies remain, he said.

If village officials or union membership don’t like the new schedule, they agreed to revert to the old way in 2027.

Overtime will be paid for hours worked in excess of nine hours per day, or in excess of 147 hours in a 24-day cycle, per the memorandum.

All police officers will receive a 3% raise at the beginning of 2026.

Under the nine-step salary schedule, a rookie officer will be paid $85,568, while a veteran officer with the most experience can earn up to $127,334.

Though the contract only lasts through the end of 2026, officials said starting in 2027, the monthly employee health insurance premium contribution will increase from 14% to 16%.