JAMESTOWN, N.D.(NewsDakota.com) – The Jamestown City Council unanimously approved hiring part-time licensed police officers for the city.

The Jamestown Police Department will be hiring 4 part-time officers at a pay rate of $35 an hour, which is the same rate that is paid for the department’s off-duty security staff. The hours would be limited to a minimum of 16 hours per month, with a maximum of 32 hours per week. The part-time officers won’t get regular benefits.

Police Chief Scott Edinger said that over the last several months the Police Department has been down as many as 8 officers for various reasons. Because of that, his officers are putting in over 200 hours a month.

Edinger believes that the reduction of time and a half hours that the part-time officers will provide will offset any additional costs of hiring extra staff.