The lax oversight of moonlighting officers has created a breeding ground for corruption and abuse in law enforcement agencies across the US. In Dallas, police departments failed to enforce rules governing off-duty work, allowing hundreds of officers with disciplinary problems to continue moonlighting while on paid sick leave.
The case of Eddie Villarreal, who was found guilty of protecting a nightclub mogul involved in a cartel-connected drug ring, highlights the potential risks of unchecked off-duty employment policies. Despite warnings and investigations, Villarreal was allowed to continue working off-duty jobs, including those that put him in conflict with his fellow officers.
The widespread failure to adopt strong oversight rules for lucrative private side jobs has left officers and the public vulnerable to corruption and danger. In many departments, moonlighting is viewed as a privilege rather than a liability, and supervisors are often reluctant to discipline officers who take on off-duty work.
This lack of accountability can be attributed to inadequate policies and procedures, which fail to track officer earnings or hours worked off duty. Many agencies do not require body cameras for off-duty work, making it difficult to monitor officers' behavior when they're not on the clock.
The consequences of this oversight are severe. In one case, a Dallas officer was allowed to work an off-duty job while being investigated for misconduct, and in another instance, an El Paso police officer exceeded the cap on off-duty hours by hundreds of times.
Experts warn that the failure to track moonlighting officers can lead to abuse, corruption, and erosion of public safety. "If you do not track what your employees are doing, and if you do not supervise them as they do it, and if you do not provide that level of approval and administrative oversight, then what are you doing?" says Seth Stoughton, a former police officer turned policing scholar.
In Dallas, the police department's failure to adopt stronger oversight rules has led to a culture of impunity among officers who take on off-duty work. The leader of the city's largest police union acknowledges that the department struggled with tracking moonlighting work but attributes recent policy changes to improving accountability.
The case of Eddie Villarreal serves as a reminder of the need for strong oversight and accountability in law enforcement agencies. Without proper regulations and monitoring, officers can engage in corrupt behavior that puts the public at risk. As one federal judge stated, "If you allow law enforcement officers at any level to break the law and not have consequences, then that only breeds contempt and disrespect for the law."
The case of Eddie Villarreal, who was found guilty of protecting a nightclub mogul involved in a cartel-connected drug ring, highlights the potential risks of unchecked off-duty employment policies. Despite warnings and investigations, Villarreal was allowed to continue working off-duty jobs, including those that put him in conflict with his fellow officers.
The widespread failure to adopt strong oversight rules for lucrative private side jobs has left officers and the public vulnerable to corruption and danger. In many departments, moonlighting is viewed as a privilege rather than a liability, and supervisors are often reluctant to discipline officers who take on off-duty work.
This lack of accountability can be attributed to inadequate policies and procedures, which fail to track officer earnings or hours worked off duty. Many agencies do not require body cameras for off-duty work, making it difficult to monitor officers' behavior when they're not on the clock.
The consequences of this oversight are severe. In one case, a Dallas officer was allowed to work an off-duty job while being investigated for misconduct, and in another instance, an El Paso police officer exceeded the cap on off-duty hours by hundreds of times.
Experts warn that the failure to track moonlighting officers can lead to abuse, corruption, and erosion of public safety. "If you do not track what your employees are doing, and if you do not supervise them as they do it, and if you do not provide that level of approval and administrative oversight, then what are you doing?" says Seth Stoughton, a former police officer turned policing scholar.
In Dallas, the police department's failure to adopt stronger oversight rules has led to a culture of impunity among officers who take on off-duty work. The leader of the city's largest police union acknowledges that the department struggled with tracking moonlighting work but attributes recent policy changes to improving accountability.
The case of Eddie Villarreal serves as a reminder of the need for strong oversight and accountability in law enforcement agencies. Without proper regulations and monitoring, officers can engage in corrupt behavior that puts the public at risk. As one federal judge stated, "If you allow law enforcement officers at any level to break the law and not have consequences, then that only breeds contempt and disrespect for the law."
, this is wild. I'm all about nostalgic vibes but when it comes to corruption in the force...no way 
. The fact that these moonlighting officers were basically getting away with murder, literally, on paid sick leave is just crazy 
. And what's even more messed up is that supervisors didn't care enough to do something about it.
. And the lack of accountability is staggering. No body cameras on the clock? Come on! That's just a recipe for disaster 
. I mean, experts are saying that if you don't track this stuff, it can lead to abuse and corruption, which is just terrifying 
.
. It's like, what kind of system allows this to happen? And yeah, I get that policy changes are being implemented now, but it's too little, too late in my opinion 
.
I'm worried about public safety now more than ever...
. The lack of oversight for moonlighting cops in the US is just crazy! I mean, how can you expect people to take law enforcement seriously when some officers are getting paid on the clock while they're working for private companies or even doing shady stuff? 
It's just not good enough for me to feel safe letting my kids around officers who aren't held accountable for their actions. And can you imagine if they're already working on paid sick leave?! That's just red flag after red flag. We need stronger regulations and better tracking of off-duty work, period! 
.
. Like, no, its because you were too lazy to do your job properly and now people are getting hurt 
I'm totally freaking out about this moonlighting scandal 
The fact that hundreds of them were allowed to continue working while on paid sick leave is just mind-blowing 
. We need some serious reform ASAP 
. The public deserves better safety and transparency from law enforcement agencies 
we need stricter rules and more accountability in law enforcement agencies ASAP 
.
They need to get their acts together and start tracking those side jobs. It's not that hard, you know? 
. We can't just sit back and let corruption run wild. Our safety is at stake here 
. That just perpetuates the cycle of bad behavior.