A report from New York City’s Department of Investigation (DOI) has revealed that the city’s police pension system may be vulnerable to misuse. The Police Pension Fund provides retirement payments to NYPD officers, and in fiscal year 2025, it will pay $935 million to officers who qualify for accident disability retirement. This category is for officers injured on the job and unable to perform their duties, which increases their pension by 50% and allows them to receive 75% of their average pay. However, the report found that the pension board determines this status based on whether an officer can perform general police duties—like subduing suspects or handling a firearm—regardless of the officer’s specific role. This standard is problematic for officers in non-field roles, such as desk or administrative positions, where such duties may not apply. The DOI highlighted the case of former Chief of Department John Chell, who received a $295,919 annual pension while in a high-ranking position under former Mayor Eric Adams. This was partly due to an ankle injury from 2024. The report noted that higher-ranking officers may find it easier to qualify for disability pay under the current rules. Although the DOI suggested that the board’s standard may not be legal, citing court rulings on state police pension rules that define job duties based on an officer’s actual responsibilities, the pension board rejected the recommendation to revise the standard. The pension system includes a safeguard to ensure city resources are used efficiently. The board is allowed to reevaluate officers receiving disability pensions who are not yet of retirement age, checking if they could perform other city jobs. If they are deemed capable, they receive their pension money until they reach retirement age. However, the DOI found that since 2019, the board has only reevaluated one officer, who was found unable to work in any other city job. The report also pointed out that some officers receiving disability payments are engaged in activities that suggest they may be physically capable of working, such as lifting weights, playing sports, or doing pushups. The DOI recommended that the board require officers receiving disability payments to periodically confirm their disability status. While the board rejected this, it agreed to create an online platform for public input on pensioners who might be able to work and to reevaluate four officers flagged by the report. Meanwhile, New York’s top court is considering a case that could change how social media companies and AI users are held legally responsible, especially in cases involving content that may incite violence. The case involves families of victims of the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting, who argue that social media companies should not be shielded from liability for the content that influenced the shooter.