Efforts to cut a deal over death and disability benefits for Wicomico County Sheriff’s has come to an apparent end.
Talks have been going on for four months with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 111 in an effort to establish a fund to pay officers or their families when an officer has been disabled or killed in the line of duty.
Sgt. Martin Fisher told the Salisbury Daily Times that the FOP will now go to a private outside agency.
Fisher said the key stumbling block was a provision that would have extended the disability benefit for the entire lives of the police officers if they were severely disabled enough not to be able to work.
The recent Windfall Elimination Provision approved by the Social Security Administration changed the terms by which public employees can receive Social Security benefits.
Fisher told the Salisbury Daily Times that the provision would have resulted in smaller benefits.
