Full Breakdown
New Orleans Police Department Overtime Discrepancies: Sergeants Clocked In While at Home
4/30/2026, 3:40:32 AM
Core Findings: Sergeants Clocked In Off-Duty
Fox 8’s investigation captured NOPD sergeants Bianca Boone and Rene Benjamin on camera at home while timesheets recorded regular-shift hours. Boone’s March timesheet shows a 6:25 a.m. clock-in, yet video recorded her leaving after 9:30 a.m. Benjamin’s records show he was on the clock when he pulled into his driveway on March 9 and stayed at home before clock-out. The pattern echoes earlier findings involving Sgt. Henry Burke and Officer Brandon Coleman.
Background: Prior Overtime Probe and Reforms
A November Fox 8 probe uncovered unchecked overtime, leading to arrests of Burke and Coleman and prompting Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick to install biometric time clocks for unscheduled overtime. The biometric system is not required for regular shifts, a policy that remains unchanged.
Key Figures
Sergeant Bianca Boone earned $239,045.15 in 2025 and logged over 4,200 hours, averaging 11.5 hours per day. Sergeant Rene Benjamin earned $211,840.99, worked 602 shifts and 363 days with only two days off. Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick oversees the department, and watchdog Skip Gallagher has filed complaints and obtained public records.
Data & Statistics
In 2025, 727 NOPD officers earned six-figure salaries, representing 71 % of the force; 226 made at least $150,000 and 50 earned over $200,000. Boone’s overtime nearly tripled her base pay, while Benjamin’s schedule shows near-continuous work across 2025-2026.
Official Statements & Responses
Superintendent Kirkpatrick said officers are on the clock when they arrive for roll-call and off the clock when they leave their shift, not when they leave or return home. She noted biometric clocks apply only to scheduled overtime and that any violations will be reviewed, giving officers a chance to explain.
Criticism & Opposition
Watchdog Gallagher called the findings a repeat of past misconduct, citing Boone’s prior reprimand for “really significant payroll violations” and arguing the pattern of high-earner overtime “doesn’t make sense.” He questioned whether the biometric reform adequately addresses regular-shift fraud.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
NOPD policy says biometric verification is unnecessary for regular shifts, yet camera footage shows sergeants clocked in while at home, creating a verification gap that current reforms do not close.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is exactly the same thing that led to him being placed under an FBI investigation years ago,” Skip Gallagher said. “And the same behavior and, surprise, the behavior is back.”
- “All they have to do is look at their high earners and scratch their head,” Gallagher said. “It’s the same thing I’ve done for years. It’s the same thing you’ve done.”
- “It’s not, ‘Can you work the hours?’ It’s, ‘Did you work the hours?’” Kirkpatrick said.
- “Well, let me say that I know Sergeant Boone and know her to be an absolutely fantastic police officer and supervisor,” Kirkpatrick said.
What’s Next
Kirkpatrick said the department will investigate the new evidence, allow officers to explain, and consider disciplinary action consistent with prior reprimands, shaping future oversight of regular-shift timekeeping.
