How The Philadelphia Inquirer held the city’s police department accountable

The findings of the 2022 Philadelphia Inquirer investigative report were striking: At a time of crisis for the city, a shockingly high number of police officers were taking advantage of a lucrative state disability benefit by claiming they were unable to work thanks to a diagnosis from  hand-picked union doctors. 

The Inquirer journalists reported in “MIA: Crisis in the Ranks” that as of 2021, 652 officers were deemed unable to work and were claiming benefits from the Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act, which affords a full salary without any state or income taxes. That means that 11% of the city’s police force was missing, significantly higher than other cities like Chicago at 3.3% and Portland, Oregon at 1.9%, The Inquirer reported. 

Thanks to The Inquirer’s reporting, the practices are starting to change ...

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