Baltimore City officials are making efforts to control the ever-rising amount spent on police overtime. Last year alone the city spent nearly $47 million on overtime, which is nearly three times more than the police overtime budget. The fiscal monster of police overtime is crystal clear when you look at the top paid Baltimore City employees.For the third year in a row, the highest-paid Baltimore City employee is not the mayor, the state's attorney, the health commissioner or the police commissioner. He's a sergeant in the Police Department, William Harris Jr. He is assigned to the city's SWAT team.In the fiscal year that just ended, Harris earned a salary of $100,228, but his take home was more than double that at $250,197. It is the result of overtime.Harris has company from the BPD on the top pay list. Police officers make up seven of the top 10 highest-paid city employees, all the result of overtime. 11 News learned for the first time that a forensic audit is being done in the Police Department."There are two phases: Internal control and process and specific potential fraud and abuse," said Henry Raymond, director of finance for the City of Baltimore.Mayor Catherine Pugh said she wants the Police Department to copy what the Fire Department has done to control overtime, which is utilizing a new online system that more efficiently tracks hours worked and schedules staff. But it hasn't happened yet because of technology issues.Police staffing shortages complicate the effort to reduce overtime, but Pugh said excessive overtime hours can pose a safety issue."We don't want police officers working 15-hour days. In fact, we don't want police officers working overtime. It is not as mentally healthy for any police officer to work a certain amount of hours," Pugh said.The mayor said she has a data scientist working on the police overtime issue.​

Baltimore City officials are making efforts to control the ever-rising amount spent on police overtime. Last year alone the city spent nearly $47 million on overtime, which is nearly three times more than the police overtime budget.

The fiscal monster of police overtime is crystal clear when you look at the top paid Baltimore City employees.

Advertisement Related Content Baltimore police overtime audit finds lack of controls

For the third year in a row, the highest-paid Baltimore City employee is not the mayor, the state's attorney, the health commissioner or the police commissioner. He's a sergeant in the Police Department, William Harris Jr. He is assigned to the city's SWAT team.

In the fiscal year that just ended, Harris earned a salary of $100,228, but his take home was more than double that at $250,197. It is the result of overtime.

Harris has company from the BPD on the top pay list. Police officers make up seven of the top 10 highest-paid city employees, all the result of overtime. 11 News learned for the first time that a forensic audit is being done in the Police Department.

"There are two phases: Internal control and process and specific potential fraud and abuse," said Henry Raymond, director of finance for the City of Baltimore.

Mayor Catherine Pugh said she wants the Police Department to copy what the Fire Department has done to control overtime, which is utilizing a new online system that more efficiently tracks hours worked and schedules staff. But it hasn't happened yet because of technology issues.

Police staffing shortages complicate the effort to reduce overtime, but Pugh said excessive overtime hours can pose a safety issue.

"We don't want police officers working 15-hour days. In fact, we don't want police officers working overtime. It is not as mentally healthy for any police officer to work a certain amount of hours," Pugh said.

The mayor said she has a data scientist working on the police overtime issue.