Vacation time

Why do police officers get vacation as part of their benefits, but so many say they can never actually take it? How often do departments deny vacation requests?

I’m asking because I’m coming from an accounting background. We do get time-off denied sometimes, but not constantly. I’m not going into this job thinking I’ll barely work — I know there will be forced overtime, long shifts, and days off that might get taken away.

But when it comes to actual vacation time that I’ve earned, how often does it really get denied?

I just want to understand what the reality is for officers when it comes to using their PTO.