California Cities Grapple with Soaring Police Overtime Costs

Cops earning more in OT than department chiefs as staffing shortages drive up payouts

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Cities across California are facing ballooning police overtime costs, with some officers earning more in OT pay than their department chiefs. In Oakland, a police lieutenant made over $700,000 in 2024, including nearly $500,000 in overtime. In San Diego, an officer earned $433,000 in 2023, with $286,000 coming from OT. Officials in Santa Barbara, San Diego and Oakland have sounded the alarm about the unsustainable overtime spending, citing staffing shortages and a need to maintain adequate police presence.

Why it matters

Excessive police overtime payouts are straining municipal budgets and raising concerns about officer fatigue and public safety. The issue highlights the challenges cities face in balancing police staffing levels, overtime costs, and community demands for law enforcement services in the wake of the 2020 backlash against police.

The details

In Oakland, Police Lt. Timothy Dolan earned $711,000 in 2024, including nearly $500,000 in overtime, by reviewing paperwork for traffic collisions. In San Diego, Police Officer Jason Costanza made $433,000 in 2023, with $286,000 coming from overtime on top of his $108,000 base salary. In Santa Barbara County, overtime for Sheriff's Department employees jumped from $12.4 million to $20.4 million in the last fiscal year, with 29 employees making more in OT than their base pay. One sergeant was arrested on suspicion of padding his timecards to collect $175,000 in fraudulent overtime.

  • In fiscal year 2021-22, Santa Barbara County's sheriff's department overtime costs were $12.4 million.
  • In the last full fiscal year, Santa Barbara County's sheriff's department overtime costs were $20.4 million.

The players

Timothy Dolan

A 26-year veteran police lieutenant in Oakland who heads the Police Department's traffic division and earned $711,000 in 2024, including nearly $500,000 in overtime, by reviewing paperwork for traffic collisions.

Jason Costanza

A San Diego police officer who earned $433,000 in 2023, with $286,000 coming from overtime on top of his $108,000 base salary.

Segun Ogunleye

A Santa Barbara County jail sergeant who was arrested on suspicion of dozens of criminal counts, including misappropriation of public funds, linked to padding his timecards to take home $175,000 for shifts he allegedly did not work.

Laura Capps

A Santa Barbara County Supervisor who said the sheriff's department had 'blown past its budget' too many times, requiring the county to 'restore fiscal discipline.'

Scott Wahl

The San Diego Police Chief who defended the large overtime payments to many officers as necessary to maintain an adequate number of units on duty, calling the payments 'our life blood right now.'

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What they’re saying

“Reviewing and submitting the collision reports is a service we provide to the people we serve. Finalizing reports in a timely manner will help resolve service complaints, as we have previously been backlogged in our reviews due to staffing constraints.”

— Timothy Dolan, Police Lieutenant (Oaklandside)

“Overtime is our life blood right now.”

— Scott Wahl, San Diego Police Chief (KPBS)

“The department has blown past its budget too many times, requiring the county to restore fiscal discipline.”

— Laura Capps, Santa Barbara County Supervisor (Los Angeles Times)

What’s next

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has ordered an audit of overtime use for the sheriff's department and other county departments, said it planned to eliminate loopholes in overtime rules, and will consider appointing an inspector general to oversee the spending.

The takeaway

The excessive police overtime payouts in California cities highlight the difficult balance municipalities must strike between maintaining adequate police staffing, controlling costs, and ensuring officers are not overworked to the point of compromising public safety. This issue will likely require a multi-pronged approach of staffing reviews, overtime policy reforms, and greater fiscal oversight to bring these ballooning expenses under control.