Brickbat: The Big Easy

New Orleans police officer Brandon Coleman faces 350 criminal charges for allegedly claiming more than $111,000 in overtime pay that he did not actually earn. Investigators say Coleman repeatedly reported working long shifts, while surveillance footage showed him at home during some of that time. The investigation grew out of earlier concerns about unusually high overtime payments to New Orleans police officers. In response, the New Orleans Police Department has introduced stricter overtime controls, like requiring officers to clock in at their actual work locations and improving supervisory checks. Those changes have reportedly reduced police overtime spending by 45 percent, saving the city millions of dollars. Coleman has denied the allegations.