If we assume your $136.50 extra, assume pay is biweekly and assume the cop gets 4 weeks leave per year.
You won't get all $136.50, due to the way taxes apply.
If there was actually justice in the world and the Democrats were really about the "working man", they'd push to have payroll/social security/etc taxes and such NOT apply on Overtime.
But the Democrats aren't really about the working man, they just use them for soundbytes.
I can't provide precise numbers on typical OT tax bites since we went to online only paystubs years ago (ostensibly to be environmentally friendly, but I bet it was to save the $0.10 each employee every 2 weeks)
But a good rule of thumb is you'll lose about 30-40% of your income before you ever see it. That leaves you with about only $95.50.
So if they do one of these arrests every pay period (2 weeks) that will mean OT for 24 pay periods in a year. That comes out to $3276 extra. Since you consider $1872 a "REAL money maker" then I don't see how this higher figure of $3276 isn't also a good money maker for the cop. And they only need to do this once every pay period (2 weeks) and that wouldn't affect their social life that much since its spread out.
My reduced figure of $95.50 post-tax times 24 pay periods = $2,292 extra.
As for
Since you consider $1872 a "REAL money maker" -- that's when it comes to you all at once in one big chunk, instead of having to slowly build up every two weeks.
The thing is, while there
are bad cops who will do "collars for dollars":
NYPD Detective likes to gig people for fake DUI arrests
Doing so is exceptionally stupid --
especially for something as easily proveable as a DUI -- all it takes is someone only slightly more intelligent than a turnip to demand a blood draw right then and there -- or if the cop refuses to have the blood draw done -- have it done immediately after you bond out of the jail for your DUI arrest, because it takes about 24 hours for the body to eliminate alcohol completely, because metabolites and such will linger in your system, and you can determine how much you've been drinking by the amount of metabolites in your blood.
As a cop, your continued employment is contigent on you maintaining the public trust -- if you're found to have done false arrests purposely for a few extra dollars of spending money, you're done -- you're of no use to the department, as all prior cases you're involved in, or given testimony in are now suspect -- and furthermore..at best, only the shittiest, most desperate police departments will hire you after you get fired.
At worst, you'll be reduced to being an unarmed private contractor security guard making $8.50 an hour guarding a nightclub.
Cops of average intelligence in the Baltimore PD will do a cost-benefit analysis of:
"Bust people falsely to pad overtime:
Upsides: I get maybe $2000 extra, tops a year.
Downsides: I can be fired from my $58,000 average income job at Baltimore PD, and the best I can make as an unarmed security guard is $32,600 a year; and I won't be able to apply for a cushy $71,800/year job at a Suburban Maryland Police Department (Montgomery County); or even jump into a federal job as an ATF agent ($61,600).
But goddamn it; I need extra money to pay for my motorcycle/boat/camper note, or for Timmy's Braces. How do i get overtime?
Well, there's two ways:
Volunteer for special details -- when they do marathons or events, you can volunteer -- get paid to just stand around or sit around, with virtually zero odds of having to arrest someone.
Granted, some events are bad -- the NYPD has to "voluntold" officers each year to fill out the details for the annual Jamaician festivals, since they're total shitshows, arrests galore.
Volunteer for Contract Details -- This is more of an option for suburban departments. Basically, lots of places like synagogues, etc will pay the department for contract protection, and officers at the end of their watches basically roll out of the precinct straight to the contract site in their issued squad car, wearing their issued uniform, and basically sit around and watch the kids or congregation, and then go home.
This is why my "BS" flag goes up when public defenders start to spin these tall tales.