Laurels & lances: Pups & pensions
Share this post:
Laurel: To a new home. Ikon the police dog has taken a roundabout road to finding a forever home.
The pup was gifted to Tarentum police by country singer Brian Kelley. It was a surprise donation when the former Florida Georgia Line frontman was playing a benefit concert hosted by Kaley’s Kops.
But, when it came time to take Ikon, Tarentum said sorry. They wanted a puppy, not an 18-month-old dog.
Ikon has been added to the ranks of the Coraopolis police, paired with Officer Dan McMurtrie. He joins another police dog, Rhaegar, and his human counterpart, Officer Shawn Quinn.
Not every donation works out exactly the way it is expected. But it’s great to see the good intentions of Kaley’s Kops and Kelley paying off for the people of Coraopolis. Here’s hoping Ikon is a real asset. Good boy!
Lance: To public service crimes. Brenda Sawyer, 61, a former investigator for the Pennsylvania attorney general’s North Huntingdon office, is accused of stealing $121,000 from her employer. She also is accused of taking another $52,650 from the McKeesport branch of the NAACP. Sawyer was arrested in September.
That case is ongoing, and Sawyer’s guilt should not be assumed. She has yet to have her day in court, and a jury has yet to weigh the facts. We do not opine on her charges.
What we will address, however, is the potential future of her pension. Sawyer retired in February and received a lump-sum payment of $229,596.50 in April and has since received a monthly gross payment of $6,098.06 through the state employment retirement system.
If convicted, Sawyer might lose her pension under Act 140 standards. Those terms state certain offenses, including forgery and tampering with records or evidence, qualify for forfeiture. So do felonies. Sawyer is charged with five felonies and two misdemeanors, including the specified offenses.
The law would allow an employee to keep the money put into the pension fund, just not the additional money. However, those contributions also could be designated for fines and restitution.
Rules like this must be followed for a reason. It’s because one state or public employee committing these kinds of crimes is too many — and Sawyer is far from alone in being a law enforcement officer facing criminal charges. Similar pension questions arose after retired Greensburg police officer Regina McAtee pleaded guilty to drug charges in May.