1 in 10 Philadelphia Police Officers Is Unavailable For Duty

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

Mayor Nutter and Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey are right to seek changes in the Police Department's disability policy, which is too lenient and costly.

Each day, nearly one in 10 Philadelphia police officers is unavailable for duty. That's due in part to a system that encourages injured officers to stay off the job as long as possible, at more than full pay.

In 2005, an average of 87 officers per month were unable to work due to injuries. But last year, the number of "injured-on-duty" officers had risen to 241 per month.