Evening star., 1948-09-14
City Heads Find
No Abuses in
Sick Leave Use
Approve Study Made
After Criticism of
Police and Firemen

The Commissioners declared today
there has been no abuse of sick
leave in the Police and Fire De-
partments as charged by congress
sional committees earlier in the
year.
The declaration was made as the
Commissioners approved a study Of
the question conducted by Police
Ch;af Robert j. Barrett, Fire Chief
Clement Murphy and DR.. John A.
Reed, chairman of the Board of
Police and Fire Surgeons. In the
study, Maj. Barrett, Chief Murphy
and DIR. Reed denied that policemen
and fremen were guilty of ma
lingering"
The study was directed by the
Commissioners last June after ac-
cusations of leave abuse had been
made during q hearing before
House Appropriations subcommit-
tee. The Senate Appropriations
Committee also got in the issue by
including in its report on the Dis
trict appropriations bill for 1949 this
sentence:
"The committee concurs with the
House on the abuse OF sick leave
and directs that the Police and Fire
Board not excuse any member OF
the department for absence on sick
leave without examination by a
physician"
COOPERATIVE Plan Worked Out.
The study stated that as result
of a number of conferences by Maj.
Barrett, Chief Murphy and DR..
Reed, a cooperative plan had been
worked out for the administration
of sick leave. 1t was agreed by the
three District officials that any
member of the departments report
ing sick would be examined by
physician and properly certified be-
fore being carried on sick leave. In
the event of doubt as to the illness
of the man it was agreed that
proper investigation would be made
and appropriate action taken.
DR.. Reed, in his section OF the
study, said both the police and fire
chiefs felt that all men on the
retired list had been retired prop
erly and would be absolutely worth
less and a burden" if any were re-
turned to duty.
The doctor noted that retired
men were examined by the Board OF
Police and Fire Surgeons every two
years until they reached the age
of 55. He pointed out that in the
last 20 years only one man on the
retired list had been restored to
active duty from a retirement status
and that case was one in which a
man had been retired under unusual
circumstances.
DR.. Reed said the average sick
leave per man in the Fire Depart
ment during the fiscal year of 194S
was 1896 days, only AS per cent
Of the total sick leave allowed by
act of Congress. In the Police De-
partment, the average days sick
leave per man was 1857 days, slight
" more than SO per cent of the total
SICK leave allowed.
Badly Injured Raise Average.
Dr.. Reed further noted that of the
total number of days used in excess
of sick leave allowed by Congress,
the amount constituted only 8 per
cent OF the total number of days
sick leave of all men for the entire
year. The men granted excess sick
leave, which has to be done by spe-:
cial order of the Commissioners,
were men suffering severe injuries
while on duty.
Maj. Barrett cited a number of
cases in his section of the study of
policemen who had been seriously
wounded on duty and had been car
ried on sick leave many days in eX-
cess of the amount allowed. These
cases go unquestioned but such cases
cause decided increase in the aver
age sick days per member over
period of time" he stated.
Maj. Barrett said his department
made efforts to reduce the number
of sick days per man by bringing
convalescent members back on light
duty. The same is true in the fire
department, according to Chief
Murphy.
The Commissioners intend to for
ward the study to the chairmen of
the two congressional committees
this week.