Sec. 7-297. Veteran reserve; retirement; death benefits.
Sec. 7-297. Veteran reserve; retirement; death benefits. In addition to the supernumerary and regular police force in each city, there shall be an honorary grade, known
as the veteran reserve, to which the police commissioners or police committee may, at
its discretion, by a unanimous vote, with the approval of the mayor, transfer any member
of the regular force who, through age, or physical disabilities incurred in the discharge
of perilous duty, or in long and faithful service, becomes permanently disqualified for
the more active duties of the regular grade; provided the pay of the members of the
veteran reserve shall be regulated by the police commissioners or police committee in
accordance with the amount of duty performed and shall not be more than one-half nor
less than one-fourth of the rate of compensation previously received by such members
while in the regular grade; and provided any member of the veteran reserve may be
removed in the same manner as a member of the regular force. The board of police
commissioners or police committee may, at its discretion, by the affirmative vote of the
whole number of its members and with the approval of the mayor, as a reward for
conspicuously meritorious service, permanently retire from duty any member of the
regular force or of the veteran reserve, after twenty years of continuous service in the
department, upon certificate of the surgeon of the department or of a board of surgeons
to be designated by such board or such committee, showing that such member is permanently disabled, physically or mentally, so as to be unfit for any police duty; provided
such surgeon or board of surgeons shall further certify that, in his or their opinion, such
disability is due either to the natural infirmities of old age or to injury received or exposure endured in the performance of duty in such department; and such member so retired
shall be entitled to receive from said fund, during his lifetime, unless such vote is
annulled by a unanimous vote of the members of such board or committee, with the
approval of the mayor, a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars annually or, in case
of officers other than patrolmen, not exceeding one-half the pay of such officers when
retired, such sum to be payable in monthly installments. Such board or such committee
may, by the affirmative vote of the whole number of its members, with the approval of
the mayor, permanently retire any member of the supernumerary or regular police force
who, while in the actual performance of police duty and by reason of the performance
of such duty and without fault or misconduct on his part, has become permanently
disabled, physically or mentally, so as to be entirely unfitted to perform such duty; and
such member so retired shall be entitled to receive from said fund, during his lifetime,
unless such vote is annulled by the unanimous vote of the members of such board or
committee, with the approval of the mayor, an annual sum payable monthly, not exceeding one-half nor less than one-fourth of his previous compensation per annum; or,
in the case of a member of the supernumerary force, not exceeding one-half nor less
than one-fourth of the compensation of a patrolman of the regular force. Whenever such
board or committee annuls a vote placing a policeman on the retired list, such board or
committee shall file with the trustees of the reserve fund a written statement of the causes
which determined them in annulling such vote. When any member of the police force
has been killed while in the actual performance of duty or has died from the effects of
any injury received while in the actual discharge of such duty, such board or committee
may, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the whole number of its members, with
the approval of the mayor, direct a sum not exceeding three hundred dollars a year,
payable in installments, as such board or committee directs, to be paid from said fund
to the widow of such policeman; or, if he has no widow, to his child or children not over
eighteen years of age, and to his child or children being under eighteen years of age,
after the death or marriage of his widow; provided such annual payment shall cease if
such widow marries again, and shall cease when all of such children attain the age of
eighteen years, and may at any time be stopped or the amount of the payment changed
by the vote of a majority of the whole number of the members of such board or committee,
with the approval of the mayor, and shall in no case be continued for a longer period
than ten years.
(1949 Rev., S. 906.)