Daily News | Number of Philly cops out injured drops 31% after Inquirer investigation uncovers abuse
For years, Philadelphia police officials had been alarmed by an internal list that tracked the number of officers who were out of work, but still getting paid.Cops stayed out longer, with injured-on-duty claims, while continuing to collect their full paychecks — plus a 20% raise, in the form of tax breaks provided by Pennsylvania’s Heart and Lung Act, a generous disability benefit for first responders.
Now, according to a recent list obtained by The Inquirer, the number of officers out with injury claims has dropped by 31%, while the number of injured officers cleared for court duty has more than tripled. “To be clear, when personnel are legitimately injured, we want them to receive the best care available; none of us are looking to rush them back,” she added. “However, if individuals are taking advantage of the system, and that can be proven, we don’t want or need them back in our ranks.”Under the Heart and Lung program, there is no cap on how long officers can remain out of work, or how many times they can submit a claim during their careers.
For much of the last two decades, city officials have grumbled among themselves about police officers taking advantage of the Heart and Lung benefit.
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