The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-25
POLICE PENSION FUND
Is CALLED A FICTION
Municipal Research Bureau
Points Out It's Immense
Cost to the City.
RESERVE Is INADEQUATE
Some Retired for Disability
Hold Jobs i'm Other
Departments.

The administration OF the police pension
fund Is severely criticised in n repo-'
| submitted to the Curran Aldermanic com.
mlttee by the Bureau OF Municipal Re
search. The report shows that the fund
Is legal fiction that TO provide properly
without expense to the city for t'e pen.
sions OF those now on the rolls and those
| men now on the force the fund should
have had a reserve on February I. 1918
OF about Sos, 100000.
Actuary tables have been compiled o.
show that within the next eighty-thre,
years more than 1915. 900, 900 in pensions
| will be paid to members of the force or
| their dependents and of that amount the
| city Itself must provide $3.50. 100000. The
tables also assert that within generation
the average amount of the pension will BE-
more than s33 for every 500 paid by
| the city in salary TO members of the
! police force. The assertion Is made that
| the members OF the force on that basis arc
more highly paid than any other poles
| officers.
The report says that the future payment
| OF pensions to those now on the rolls will
| amount TO almost $3.50. 600, 900, OF which
! the members OF the force. by giving
per cent. OF their salaries. will contribute
something more than s4.4O0.000 Under
|
| 20 per cent. goes at present for service
| pensions, 26 per cent. to dependents OF
| policemen and 81 per cent. for disability
| pensions.
| Deficiency IL Growing.
IN 1910" says the report. the average
| pension for every 500 expended for police
service was $3.50. whereas in 1912 It was
| $3.50. and the deficiency In 1912 which
the city had to make up amounted to
sl.l35,lss. or 81 per cent. of the total
! penson fund The tables indicate that
the city eventually will have TO pay out
| s5,00O,000 year to fulfil the obligations
| OF the fund"
The Investigations OF the bureau bring
| to light the fact that ten men now on tho
| pension rolls have received from the fund
total OF $32l.0O and that ten other
pensioners have received Si44.512 from the
| fund and a total OF s43.953 from the city
as employees of other departments.
The report SAYS that under the present
| law the able policemen are encouraged to
| retire when possible to make extra money
outside. while the incompetent men are
| encouraged to remain on the force. Dis
| cussion IL next given to the retrements for
| disability and IL is pointed out that during
| six years. 1907 to 1919 inclusive, 1.1Sl
| left the service for disability while 3t4
| retired on ordinary service pensions.
| The report charges that the physical
| condition OF the members OF the force II
permitted TO dcterioratc after entranc"
and that an abnormal rate OF sickness l.
| reported In the department. This com
| ment Is made:
| During "a recent investigation of tho
| surgical division of the Police Departmon,
by the office OF the Commissioner OF Ac-
counts the sick rate OF the uniformed
| force in 1910 was found to amount to &c
| per cent. In 1911 the rate increased to .
per cent, and during the first quarter OF
| 1912 showed "a per cent. In the police
department OF Chicago the average daily
| sick rate for 1911 was 1.5 per cent, while
In Boston II amounted during the same
| year to l.6 per cent"
| The present administration is responsi-
| BILE for abnormally increased rate OF dis
| ability retirements says the report. One
| reason for this is the extremely loose
definition OF disability in the law and OF
| the meaning OF the term unit for full
police duty" Police Commissioner Waldo
went on the theory that no officer not A.
| for full police duty should be retained on
the force. though he might be available
| for many lines or inside work.
| shouId Control Surgeons.
For the protection OF the Commissioner
and the city as we'll as the good opinion
| OF the service" says the report some
means should be provided for bringing thu
| surgeons under administrative control by
| requiring the submission OF reports set
|
| or not disability certified to by the sur
geons Is real.
| another matter is of importance The
| surgeons are not prohibited from carrying
on n private practice, In fact from max
| ing this their principal source of income
They are not even prohibited from includ
| ing in their private practice the families
| of the members of the force. This may
result in business relationship between
the surgeons and prospective pensioners
which may influence the former to grant
| certificates OF disability"
Investigations showed that many OF tho
| policemen retired as disabled are enjoying
good health. or 26S policemen who wero
| found to have good occupations only ~
were retired on service pensions. One OF
the pensioners, Matthew Mcconnell was
| found TO be trainer OF boxers.
The pension is described as IA patch
work--the result OF an unsatisfactory and
| unscientihcally constructed measure"
There are inadequate provisions for ad-
| mnistering the fund and the Police Com
missioner, II IL pointed out. Is not tho
proper trustee OF the fund. There is only
| one investigator OF the applications for
pensions and he does not have time 10 at
| tend To all the work.
The trustees OF the fund are found TO
have been negligent THE officers who
are responsible as legal trustees OF tho
fund" says the report, have not even
taken steps to keep the records and col
lcct data needed to find out what are tina
prospective obligations to be met or
whether there will be sufficient assets to
meet them. and they do not know and
| never have known the amount OF the pres
ent or accruing liabilities"
one OF the recommendations made by
the report follows. Having in mind the
welfare purpose Of the fund and the oh
legations which the city has undertaken.
II IL obvious that there are "A number ~
innprtant