injured officers

a serious question for you guys: this is not a joke and coming from an injured officer facing termination...

In the event an officer in your agency receives a permanent disabling injury, what does your agency do? Does it try to find another position within the organization, or does it terminate you (as I am currently facing)?

Do they try to work with the officer, or simply state that if he/she cannot do the job theres the door?

Thanks for any feedback you might have

v-man1

That really depends on the situation and the person. Line of duty disability often leads to termination in the sense that the officer is retired. Non line of duty injuries that are disabling usually lead to termination but it doesnt prevent you from seeking another position at the department.

It is a little more straightforward with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (Florida Retirement System.)

For a disability retirement you must be totally and permanently disabled from being able to hold ANY employment. It may be from either on duty or off duty illness or injury. It must be attested to by three doctors.

If your illness or injury is line of duty related then there is a separate "workers' compensation" issue. You can negotiate for a settlement from the workers' comp insurance carrier - better have a lawyer do your negotiation for you.

With the Sheriff's Office there is also the possibility of staying on the books under Short Term Disability and Long Term Disability if there is some prospect that you MAY recover to the point that you can return to duty. There is also FMLA, but that burns out fairly quickly.

If it is immediately apparent that you are totally, permanently disabled from holding ANY kind of employment (and are therefore eligible for immediate retirement) you MAY NOT be eligible for STD and LTD.

If you are disabled from being a LEO, but can hold other employment the SO will try to find you other employment in the agency first, next somewhere in county Civil Service and finally anywhere that you can fill a position. If there is a position that you can fill within the SO they can "force" you on the Civil Service list for the position even if it is closed.

Although many LEOs believe that if they become disabled from being a LEO they should continue to hold a certification and draw LEO pay, this is not permitted.

Personally, I believe there should be a LAW that if a LEO is disabled from being a LEO in a line of duty incident, but is able to hold some other job in the agency, the LEO should continue to draw LEO pay and raises.

Perhaps this is legislation that the "unions" should be lobbying for.

There is more that they can do than simply "negotiating" with the employing agency!

:!: