That's not a perk, it's a bad policy. No compensation should be based on the honor system. And no policy should be that excessively generous to state police brass. But the legislature should require the state police to come before appropriate committees and reveal exactly how much has been paid to whom and for what reasons for a period of at least five years. Legislators should then consider requiring the state police to make its compensation policy more accountable and less self-run.
Most police departments expect officers to log lots of overtime occasionally.
It's the nature of a job that doesn't lend itself to regular hours. But that isn't the case for civilian employees. The practice of extending this perk to them should end at once. The long awaited report on security breaches that apparently let China steal nuclear warhead secrets is important documentation of laxness over 20 years. The recommendations for tightening security must be implemented.