DC Auditor: public safety agencies spent nearly $220 million on overtime last fiscal year, and Corrections employs 704 of the 1,762 staff its 24/7 posts require
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A July 22, 2026 data brief by the Office of the D.C. Auditor reports that the District's public safety agencies spent nearly $220 million on overtime in the last fiscal year, based on staffing numbers well under what the hours of work require, and that staff took an average of nine weeks of leave, making them unavailable for duty. The brief cites a two-and-a-half-to-one gap at the Department of Corrections (704 employed against 1,762 needed for 24/7 posts) and average leave of about 11 weeks for Office of Unified Communications dispatchers. The brief makes no formal recommendations but suggests the Office of the City Administrator and the Department of Human Resources direct closer oversight of leave use.
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