Letter to New York Post editor

New York Post
To the Editor
via Electronic Mail

To the Letters Editor:

Your story “Sneaky $35 M Bid To Boost Cop Pensions” (6/10/14) was wrong and misleading.  The story states that 33% of police officers retire on disability pensions and that is factually incorrect.  Roughly 10% are retired each year as a result of a serious line of duty disability.  Your headline calls our efforts to restore appropriate levels of disability protection to police officers hired since 2009 “sneaky” when we have proactively generated media coverage about this issue for months and have had open discussions with our elected officials about the issue.   A graphic says the proposed change will “Restore all officers to 75% year’s salary” while failing to mention it does so only for the few officers who are severely disabled in the line of duty and forced to retire.  One such case is Police Officer Rosa Rodriguez who sustained severe damage to her respiratory system from the arson fire that killed her partner.  Officer Rodriguez wishes to return to full duty, but if she cannot and is forced to retire she will suffer serious economic problems because of Tier 3 disability coverage. Finally, the projected cost of $35 million in the first year is more likely to be closer to zero because in the five years since the change there has not been a single Tier 3 disability case before the pension board and the $35 million cost projects 40 cases a year.  The city has a moral obligation to provide, at minimum, the same level disability protection for NYC police officers that is being provided to every of police officer in the state.  It’s the right thing to do and it should be done now.

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Lynch
President