Evening star., 1941-01-19
Changes Are Sought
In nMontqomery Police
Retirement Setup
Association Proposes
Fixing Of Maximum
Benefits as Minimum
By JACK ALLEN,
C-ar Sfaff rnrrernny,d dant

ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 18-Amend-
ment of the 1899 Montgomery
County Police Act to revise the re-
lief and retirement benefits now in
force is requested Of the State
Assembly in a communication re-
ceived from the County Police
mems Association.
Directing its plea to Senate and
House members from Montgomery.
the association asked chiefly that
the act be changed so that maxi
mum benefits provided at the pres
ent time become the minimum bene-
fits under the new set up.
Another suggested change would
permit policemen 10 retire at the
end of 25 years of service if they
desire. Currently policeman NAV
retire only if at the end Of 25
years service he is deemed physi-
callv unfit for further duty.
Policeman William S. Crawford.
secretary TO the association. who
forwarded the request to the Legis-
lators. declared the proposed amend
ments. drafted by Donald Bowie. ir..
his organizations counsel. could be
made without anv burden on the
taxpayers since it is the police
men themselves who maintain the
relief and retirement fund"
Would Fix Minimum.
Under one proposal the retirement
basis would be changed 50 as to
guarantee that not less than so per
cent of A policeman's salary would
be continued to be paid on retire
ment for injury or disease con-
tracted in line of duty. or on COM
pletion of 25 wears service. or on
reaching the ace of 81 and for
sum of not less thon 30 per cent
to be paid a policeman whose retire
ment is nnceSsitated nv injury or
disease not contracted in line of
dutv.
CURRENTLY Mr.. Crawford sold. the
law provides only that a policeman
may be paid up to 50 per cent of
his salary if he has served for 25
years and retireS because of
physical disability or disease con-
tractnd in line of duty. or if he
becomes so wears Of AGE and desires
to retire No definite sum is fixed
at the present time.
Neither is there provision. he
said. for any benefits for a police
man forced to retire because of an
injury or Illness which is not re-
ceived in line of duty.
Under another proposal the pre-
sent provision setting forth that up
to s75 may be paid toward defraying
the funeral expenses of a policeman
who dies while in the service would
be CHANGED TO definitely set the
amount at s75.
Return Of Deductions.
Currently there is no provision for
returning to a policeman the salary
deductions made for the relief and
retirement fund if he should resign
or become DISCHARGED. but under an
other suggested change this would
be done
Benefits payable to the family of
a policeman in the event of his
death would be fixed at not less
than $50 month for the widow and
not less than $40 monthly for each
child under 16 years of age.
The present law sets those sums
only as the maximum that could be
paid a policeman's family and does
not stipulate any certain sum.
Another suggested amendment
stipulates that the relief and retire
ment fund now held by the Mont
gomerv County treasurer, be de-
posted in banks so that it will draw
interest, and to obtain the protec-
ton accorded by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation that not more
than $4,000 be placed in any one
banking institution
Mr.. Crawford said "all of the
proposals are in line with retire.
ment practices elsewhere"