The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-16
ABSENCE FROM DUTY SUBJECT
 OF CRITICISM
Committee Of Police Commissioners Sub. mits Report Changing Present System and Deducting Absences From tile Regular Vacations,

At the meeting of the police board last night President Hill and Commits sloner Coughlin, special committee appointed to Investigate the absences of the members of the police force and from sickness and other causes presented 8 report which will compel every policeman to lose the time in which he is absent unless he is re- ileved by special permission of the board. The following para graphs are quoted from the reports:
 The total number of days lost in ciudlng vacations, illness and all other causes by the entire department for the year ending December 31, 1908, is 11,651 or an average of about seventeen days per man.
 The salaried officers, i. e.. those ranking as sergeants or higher eX- cludlng .Sergeants Hazel and Blans- field, who have been sergeants only a part of the year, have lost in the az gregate 3S3 days. or an average of p 1-2 days. Fifteen days vacation being allowed each superior officer, the figures show that the seventeen su- perlor officers have averaged 1-2 days per year of absence by reason of ill., ness or other causes.
 The patrolmen, doornen and other
 
 below sergeant. have averaged to be absent from duty during the year 15 1-2 days. Twelve days off being al- lowed each patrolman, doorman, etc., the figures show that the patrolmen have averaged 1-s days of absence beyond those absences allowed for va cation and other purposes.
 We accordingly find that while there have been more absences among the superior officers than among the pa trolmen we do not find any evidence tending to show that there has been any abuse of the privileges extended to the superior officers.
 We believe, however, that no ab- sences from duty should take place of bona fide illness, a death in the family of the officer or other like cause
 We therefore recommend the adop- tion of the following resolution:
 Resolved, That if a superior officer be absent from duty except because of illness sufficient to incapacitate him from performing the same, the length of such absence shall be deducted from the regular vacation allowed such officer by this board.
 Resolved, That in case any member of the department be i'll for period of five days; it shall be the du- ty of the Superintendent to notify the department physician to visit such member and make @ report to the board of his condition.
 Resolved, That no patrolman absent from duty for any reason and who shall not turn in "days-off-tickets'' for such absences, shall be retained on the payroll for the period of such absence, unless the physicians of the depart ment shall report to this board that such illness is the direct and inTne- diate result of injury received in the performance of his duty. s,
 Resolved, That when any superior officer shall have been absent from duty fifteen days for any cause during any year, he shall be allowed further absence for vacation only by special vote of this board.
 The report was accepted, but the resolution was laid on the table until the next meeting on the suggestion of Commissioner Hurley.