Computer workers at the Police Department whose salary is above the overtime cap will no longer be forced to sign in with a supervisor present, thanks to the settlement of an arbitration filed by Local 2627.

The union resolved the dispute with the NYPD recently after hearings before arbitrator Carlin Meyer.

“This is an important victory, because it will end a practice that violated the contract and was offensive to our members,” said Ed Hysyk, president of Electronic Data Processing Employees Local 2627.

About 50 members will be affected by the settlement. Local 2627 challenged the practice four years ago by filing a group grievance. After exhausting earlier steps in the grievance procedure, the local took the issue to arbitration, where DC 37 staff attorney Mary O’Connell handled the case.

The union charged that the procedure violated Article IV, Section 7(c) of the Citywide Contract, which deals with the working conditions.

The agreement bans employers from requiring daily sign-in procedures from workers who are not covered by the federal overtime law if their gross salary is more than the city overtime cap.

Instead, these employees submit weekly time reports.

Under the sign-in practice, Local 2627 members who were earning more than the overtime time cap were forced to write “p” for “present” in an attendance log while in the presence of a police supervisor. The practice was known as “p-ing in.”

Members said the procedure reflected the rigidity of a paramilitary organization that was inappropriately subjecting civilian employees to overly strict supervision.

“It is understandable that police supervisors need to keep close track of the officers on duty because of the nature of police work,” Hysyk said. “They need to be able to order police officers to respond to a crime or an emergency at a moment’s notice. But the supervisors don’t need that kind of control over our members, who handle long-term computer projects.”

“We are professionals and here we had to report in like children,” said 2nd Vice President Stanley Cates, who works at the Police Department.