CHICAGO — The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police is pushing to make changes to how the Pension Board operates.
The FOP says officers hurt on the job are too often put on no pay status for months and sometimes years before appeals court hears their case.
The FOP is pushing legislation in Springfield and working with the City Council to have more presentation on the pension board so officers who get injured on the job get their promised benefits.
“There is no reason why any officer should have to suffer a financial loss after an injury serving this city and its citizens and again it’s been an ongoing issue,” FOP president John Cantanzera said.
Cantanzara was joined by several Chicago Police officers at the FOP headquarters Thursday morning. He was joined by many officers who got hurt during their jobs — some who would never be able to return to the force.
Still, many were put on no pay status after one year of disability benefits and burning through their vacation comp and sick time which their cases before the pension board took up their case.
Officer Danny Golden was one of the officers there. He was shot in July breaking up a bar fight while he was off duty. He’s paralyzed from the waist down. He has been on no pay status since October. Sar Hecker shattered her knee on the job in 2010 and the injury led ger to a very park place.
The FOP and the officers have some support for lawmakers in Springfield who have put up legislation that would give them more say on cases with a seat on the Pension Board that is currently made up of four members appointed by the Mayor and the four elected members.
The legislation would also make changes to how the system works to keep more officers from going into no pay statuses before the pension board hears their case.
The Union is also working with city council members to make changes to the way officers’ cases make their way through the system.
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