The City of Tacoma paid the wages of about a dozen police officers while they participated in a charity basketball game against Tacoma firefighters in late May, city officials said Tuesday.

An investigation was launched after a whistleblower complaint was filed with the city manager’s office June 1.

The anonymous complaint alleged:

• The officers were paid for full 10-hour shifts even though the game lasted only a few hours.

• They also had been paid for practices during the weeks leading up to the May 29 game at the University of Puget Sound Field House.

• Other officers were required to cover at least some of the shifts on overtime.

The allegations are basically true, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said Tuesday.

The department is still figuring out the full cost of the resources expended for the event, which benefited the Hilltop Action Coalition, and what actions it might take. It was unclear Tuesday whether officers have been paid during the event’s previous four years.

The officers had permission to do what they did, Fulghum said.

“From our standpoint, we thought it was a good way for us to get involved with a worthy cause,” he said. “As we have witnessed, it probably wasn’t the best way.”

Chief Don Ramsdell issued a memo to all personnel June 17, stating that, “effective immediately, all events requesting department participation for fundraising purposes will be done on a volunteer basis and not on paid duty time. This will include preparation and/or practicing for the event.”

The basketball game was the fifth annual contest between the police and fire departments to benefit the nonprofit Hilltop Action Coalition, which has fought against gangs, drugs and blight in the city’s Hilltop neighborhood.

The “Hilltop Challenge” raised about $7,000 this year, said Jeanie Peterson, the group’s director of community initiatives.

She said she hoped the police investigation won’t overshadow the good the event does. Proceeds from ticket sales and ads placed in the brochure help fund the group’s efforts to clean up the neighborhood.

“We’ve reduced crime by 80 percent on the Hilltop through the partnership that we’ve built over the years with community policing,” Peterson said.

The event “is a way for the community to give back to our agency,” she said.

The basketball game was not only a good way to build camaraderie between the two agencies, but also promoted physical fitness among the officers, she said.

This year, the firefighters won 80-68, bringing their total victories to four, the agency said on its Web site. Tacoma police have notched a single victory.

The Web site had no photos showing how many police players participated; 12 men in red uniforms were featured in the firefighters’ victory shot.

KOMO-TV reported that one firefighter was on duty during the event. Fire Department spokeswoman Jolene Davis said the firefighter had been using a vacation day.

The firefighter team did not practice while on duty, she said. Firefighters are, however, allowed and encouraged to use one hour of their 24-hour shifts for physical fitness.

Ian Demsky: 253-597-8872

ian.demsky@thenewstribune.com