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24/48 vs 24/72
One extra platoon is the whole difference — and it changes the average week by fourteen hours.
| 24/48 | vs | 24/72 |
|---|---|---|
| The cycle | ||
| 24 hours | Tour length | 24 hours |
| 3 days | Cycle length | 4 days |
| 56 hours | Average week | 42 hours |
| 3 | Platoons needed | 4 |
| About 10 | Tours in a month | About 7 or 8 |
| Recovery | ||
| NoOne day, mostly sleep | Full day of recovery before the next tour | YesThree days |
| No | Room for a second job that doesn't cost you sleep | Yes |
| No | Better on fatigue and long-term health | Yes |
| The catch | ||
| No | Needs another platoon to staff | Yes |
| Yes56 a week | More base hours on the roster | No42 a week |
| No | More overtime usually available | Yes |
The fourth platoon is the story
A 24/48 covers a station with three platoons and asks each for about fifty-six hours a week. A 24/72 adds a fourth, which drops the average to about forty-two and turns every tour into a three-day recovery.
What it buys
Ten tours a month becomes seven or eight. Three days between tours is real recovery rather than one day spent sleeping. Departments that have moved usually did it on fatigue and health grounds, and the research backs them.
What it costs
Money, and not just the department's. A fourth platoon costs the agency, which is why it is far from universal. And fewer scheduled hours can mean less base pay, so what looks like a straight win is often a trade — more overtime available, less guaranteed.
That trade is worth measuring rather than guessing at, which means keeping your own record of the hours you actually work rather than the ones on the roster.
Full detail on each pattern: 24/48 and 48/96 · 24/72 schedule
The shift schedule you actually work
Save whichever one your agency runs and a police shift calendar built by an officer fills the rest of the year in. Everything stays on your phone unless you choose to share it.
Scan to install — or hold it up for the officer next to you.
