Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-10
Thursday, January 10, 1889
DIFFERENT VIEWS.
The Police Commissioner Consider
 the New Police Pension BflI-No Ac.

! The Police CoMmfssfoRers Consider l the New Police Pension Bill-No Ac. ! ton Taken.
 | The police commissioners met last night
 and, after Dr. M. J. Adams application for police surgeon had been ordered on file, the new police pension bill, drawn by City At- torney Hugh Daley as an amendment to the charter, was taken up and considered. None of the commissioners had given the subject any great thought. They were unprepared to take any step toward advocating it, on be-
 half of the police department, before the leg
 islature.
 The commissioners all objected to this
 clause in the bill:
 To any such member of said police. force who
 aa years continuous service in said department be-
 come superannuated by age. permanently insane
 or disabled physically or mentally. so as to be un,
 fitted unable to perform full police duty by
 misconduct on his part sum equal to one third of his compensation per annum.
 Commissioner Benton thought any such &C.,
 tion would be an injustice to the taxpayers. A policeman receiving $3 day-more than in most other cities-should be able to lay
 aside something, and be able to take care of
 himself and not be pensioned and make the people pay for it.
 All the commissioners were agreed that policeman being permanently disabled in the
 discharge of his duty should be pensioned or provision made for him in some way. Also
 that families of those who lose their lives
 while on duty should be provided for. This,
 Commissioner Benton thought, would tend
 to make the force more efficient, az they
 would risk themselves where they otherwise
 wouldn't if they knew they had something
 back of them if they were disabled.
 Commissioner Hart thought that the vet- eran reserve force, with few alterations and a little legislation, would answer the purposes of the department for years to come. The
 veteran reserve force is made up of those who
 have reached the age of ffty-fve and are not able to perform full duty. At present there are two officers on that force. The pay is not more than one-half nor less than one third what they received as policemen. Commission CT Hart referred to the New York police pen sion, which in detail is similar to ths one un- der consideration. The pension fund there the first year amounted to $79,000. In Bos- ton almost all the money for this fund is | raised from licenses. In this city $1 800 is
 received annually from licenses, and some of
 the commissioners thought that they might
 ask for certain per cent of this amount for
 pension fund.
 Commissioner Hart, in answer to @ ques-
 tion, said that the New Haven police depart
 ment would soon be swamped if this new bill
 were passed. At present, on the force are
 five over 60 years of age, seven between 55 and 60, twenty-two between 50 and 55. Soon all of these would have 10 be pensioned. Chief Bollman thought strong argument could be made before the legislature for police benevolent fund. It would be easy to get the legislature to give $s,000 or $3, 1000 for such a purpose.
 Commissioner Benton didn't think this would work, there is no police State be- nevolent association as there is fremen's benevolent association, to which the State gives so much each year. Then again the rural people are prejudiced against the po- lice department, although they want the police to do their work for them. The matter was finally settled for last night by Commissioners Benton, Hart and Andrew being appointed to draft suitable bill and present it at meeting of the board to be held next Wednesday night.