Police Psychology | Disabled Police Officer or Scammer?

Sgt, John R.  Ret. Deputy Sheriff

What is a Disabled Police Officer?  I will tell you. He or she is “Lucky,” “A Scammer,” “Faking It,” “Has Hit The Jackpot,” “ Malingering,” “ Making it Worse Than it is,” “Lazy,” “Trying to Get Out of Work,” and the names go on and on… .  If you have become permanently “Disabled in The Line of Duty” perhaps you have been called one of these names, or similar ones, to your face. I will say you have, most definitely, been called one of these names behind your back.  

On Long Island, New York a police officer gets three-quarters of his salary if he is in an accident or one-half if he is injured doing his job.  A sheriff gets three-quarters if it is prisoner-related and one half if it is not prisoner-related.  Three-quarters tax-free is essentially a little more than they were making while they were working.  Perhaps it is because some of these officers don’t “look” injured. Perhaps it is because many in our police culture have joked, one time or another, about “Hitting the Jackpot” or “Going Out” on a disability pension when they have had a bad day at work, experience burnout or get the feeling that this job just isn’t worth the aggravation. Or perhaps, it is because we all know someone who is a “Disabled Police Officer”, who runs road races, does power lifting, competes in triathlons or works roofing or other heavy manual labor jobs on the side while claiming to be “Disabled.”   There are lots of reasons on Long Island to be suspicious. (more…)