I've fielded a ton of calls and e-mails in the last few days from readers who are angry about city cops who are keeping their pension benefits even after they've been fired from the force or arrested for committing serious crimes.
One reader asked today, "Can't you find out if anyone is going to do something about this?" Here's an excerpt of the answer that will appear in tomorrow's Daily News:
One after another, stories about bad cops have fallen around the city like dominoes lately, each one more disturbing than the next.
There has, however, been one common thread: many of those who have been fired from the force or arrested have had no fear of losing their pension.
Some of accused face charges that range from murder to rape to soliciting sex from a minor.
As it stands now, the city code doesn't call for a city employee - be it a cop, firefighter or trash collector - to lose his pension, even if he's convicted of one of those crimes.
Count City Councilman Frank Rizzo among those who are wondering if the code needs to be changed.
"I just began discussing this my staff today," Rizzo said earlier today.
"It's something that we're going to look into after the [city] budget is finished," he said. "We'll probably have to hold hearings."
Rizzo said he was bothered by a recent spate of stories about cops who have retired from the force a day before they were arrested.
Many have interpreted the sudden retirements as last ditch attempts on the cops' behalf at saving their pension benefits.
Officer Anthony Floyd, a 14-year veteran, retired on Tuesday, and was charged the following day with assaulting and harrassing a woman he was dating.
Another longtime cop, Tyrone Wiggins, retired a day before he was arrested on rape charges in November.
"We can't have cops retiring one day, then getting arrested the next," Rizzo said.
Even cops fired for gross misconduct are not blocked from receiving a pension. Also this week, Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey fired Sgt. Robert Ralston after the 21-year veteran admitted that he shot himself last month and created a phony story about being shot by a black man with corn rows.
Chapter 22-1300 of the city code states that a city employee could lose retirement benefits only if he or she pleads or is found guilty of perjury; accepting or offering a bribe; engaging in graft or corruption; theft, embezzlement or willful misapplication of city funds; malfeasance in office or engaging in conspiracy to commit any of the above.
Former city managing director Phil Goldsmith said that the city code should be amended to include harsh penalties for employees who committ serious felonies.
"If someone has violated the public's trust, they should lose their benefits," he said.
NOTHING worse than a dirty cop. It's unbelievable that these scumbags should even be considered for a pension. To betray the public's trust and give their fellow officers a bad name is incomprehensible. They should do hard time, and not in a country club fed prison.— dogman5- crooked cops should lose their pension. if not then the legal system here is approving their wrong doing. this should include other employees also. crooked cops should do hard time with the other criminals.— etbarksdale
- What exactly do they think malfeasance of office is. These men have betrayed the public's trust.— navseal46
- I think they should get what they put in it but nothing the city would have added. That is after they get out of jail.— I M Jim
- Yes. Without a doubt. This is something that I think even people on both the left and the right can reasonably agree on.— MG77
- So it doesn't matter what they do to anyone else, only what they do to "the city". Nice.— phillyphorever516
- yes— prop wash
- teachers lose their licences when the kids don;t perform, a fry cook loses his job if he keeps hurting people with oil... is this a real question? or just a "bait question"?— donnybrook
- Not only thier Pensions, but City Officials, and City Workers, they should get way more Time, for a Crime. A deterrant is needed, if caught, 10-20-30 Yrs, Betraying the Trust, Like they do in other Countries. Romans stripped them of thier Wealth, and made them Slaves. OK with Me.— LetsBeFair
- They should not get a pension at all, let's privatize all of the government services. We would be better off this way and save much money. The city is broke and we cannot afford these things.— LPM
Officers Robert McDonnell, Richard Cujdik,Officer Jeffrey Cujdik, Richard's brother,should they still be employed by the City of Philadelphia,should they still be getting overtime,you tell me— dmac6419
They should lose their tax funded pension.- Something is terribly wrong with the City of Philadelphia. We're talking about people loosing their pensions if they have been accused or charged with a crime or gross misconduct. Whatever happened to: "INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY." Yes, some of these cases have lots of merit, however until a judge or jury says, GUILTY.......the person is INNOCENT. Now, moving along to CITY COUNCIL.(Corruption at the highest level) These are the same people who want to take away someones pension, yet City Council commits more crime then any employees in this city. Lets start with the "DROP PROGRAM." A program that was designed for Police Officers ONLY. However, due to some careful planning City Council Members found away get their fingers into the "DROP PROGRAM" pot. City Council Members plan to retire. They enroll in the Drop Program, knowing they have no real intentions of retirement. Then they retire for 1 day. The very next day, they're back on the job. Our City Council President has a standing hair appointment every Thursday. On City time she goes down the steps at 15th/JFK for 2hours............. AND THE LIST GOES ON. So, City Council needs to clean their own backyards. The bottom line is, EVERY PERSON IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AND SHOULDN'T LOOSE THEIR PENSIONS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF A CRIME OR MISCONDUCT.— TMH
- What ever happened to integrity, accountability and responsibility? Did the FOP stomp those ideas into the ground under the weight of McNesby's reign? Don't kid yourself, we are only looking at the tip of the iceberg. Most criminals, those wearing uniforms included, don't get reported let alone investigated, and prosecuted. Why should we pay an officer's pension and benefits to somebody who commits crimes?— Tkat
Dana DiFilippo has covered murder, mayhem and miscellany at the Daily News since 2000. She grew up in Delaware County and studied journalism and photography at Penn State University. E-mail tips to difilid@phillynews.com.
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Stephanie Farr has been reporting for the Daily News since 2007, covering everything from gay porn stars who entered the burglary business to moon trees, skinheads, murders and naked bike rides. She covers crime, both in the city and suburbs, and keeps clippings of bizarre Associated Press articles. Her favorite this year was the story about the drunk in Punxsutawney who gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a dead opossum. E-mail tips to farrs@phillynews.com.
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Phillip Lucas joined the Daily News crime team in 2011. He grew up on the mean streets of Seattle and studied journalism and psychology at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Before landing in the City of Brotherly Love, Phillip was a reporter for The News Journal in Wilmington, Del. Email tips to lucasp@phillynews.com.
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Morgan Zalot is the newest crime reporter at the Daily News, starting in 2011 after interning at the paper twice as a Temple University journalism student. In her past stints at the DN, she covered just about everything, from drunken Phillies fans to a barber shop in a high school to a grisly murder-suicide. She’s a born-and-raised Philly girl who grew up in the Northeast. E-mail tips to zalotm@philly.com.
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