A Plea to Mayor Rilling from HamletHub Reader Debbie Roselle

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year Mayor Rilling,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing you to ask for your support for my husband and your Norwalk Police Officer Phil Roselle.  As you are already aware, my husband, Officer Phil Roselle, dedicated police officer with over 30 years was accidentally shot by his sergeant during an on-duty firearms training last year. Ever since this preventable incident occurred, Phil’s physical & mental health has been on steady decline. Several Independent doctors have concluded that because of this shooting incident, Phil has permanent damage to his dominant arm/hand and that his diabetes has been severely impacted due to a bullet still lodged in his rib cage causing his kidneys to fail needing a kidney transplant.  A combination of these injuries have resulted in Phil being unable to return to work and perform the duties of a police officer.

We have 2 young children at home that we are trying to raise and provide the best life possible for them. My children have witnessed a steady decline in their father’s health and are terrified that their father may die due to the complications from the shooting incident that in my opinion could have been prevented.

Mayor Rilling, I cannot put into words what this tragic avoidable incident has done to not only Phil but to my entire family. Our children have not been the same since Phil was shot. Our youngest son Ryan, 9 years old and his brother Michael, 14 years old, both sleep in Phil’s room every night in fear that they may lose their dad. Seeing my young boys cry themselves to sleep each night tears me up inside. I have reached out to many people looking for advice and help. 

Through my research, I have learned that when a police officer is tragically killed in the line of duty, their surviving family members/beneficiary are entitled to statutory benefits, both Federal & state. Sadly, though, if that same officer survives being shot, yet he/she is permanently injured, there are no benefits available. In fact, they often receive a decrease in their pay and are forced to retire and are unable to earn as they were once able too at no fault of their own. Learning of this information, I can’t help but to think that any officer who is lucky enough to survive a shooting incident is essentially punished for surviving. Frankly, this is unacceptable and an injustice to all that serve and protect our communities so we can all live in peace and tranquility.

Through many hours of tedious research, I came upon an organization called Violently Injured Police Officers ( V.I.P.O.) from Massachusetts (www.vipo911.org). I took it upon myself to reach out to the co-founders of this organization, both of whom are violently & permanently injured police officers and now retired. Through speaking with these officers, I learned about many interesting things that are/have been available to public safety personnel in the State of Massachusetts.

Mayor Rilling, are you aware that in Massachusetts, if/when a police officer is critically and permanently injured in the line of duty, the mayor or town manager of the injured officer’s city/town can draft “Special Legislation” thus giving the injured officer 100% disability retirement for life or until the officer reaches statutory retirement age of 65 years? I am told that “Special Legislation” has existed in Massachusetts since 1948 and since then, approximately 53 public safety personnel have received the “Special Legislation” benefits through their city/town. My understanding is that the funding of the “special legislation retirement” comes from each individual municipal retirement system, not the State. I also learned that the V.I.P.O. organization is currently working with the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police and many of the police Unions along with a number of State Senators and State Representatives to create and pass legislation that will provide permanently injured police officers with an easier pathway to retire with dignity and 100% of their pay which in my opinion, they certainly deserve.

In our state, permanently injured police officers are required to deal with and be subjected to the bureaucracy that I refer to as Workman’s compensation. This process is not only tedious but often very stressful.

I am asking if you would be open to meeting with me to discuss the possibility of your office drafting and filing a similar “Special legislation” for Phil’s retirement.  The same “special legislation” that many police officers and public safety personnel in Massachusetts have received from their respective municipalities since 1948. I can certainly provide you with this information when/if we meet in person.

All we are hoping for is that you, Mayor Rilling, would consider giving Phil a different retirement package than what he would normally receive in retirement due to the fact that Phil’s 30 year career serving the City of Norwalk CT was traumatically cut short at no fault of his own.

In closing, I am of firm belief that it is time for Legislators, Governors, Managers/Mayors and police departments through their police chiefs to step up and do the right thing to ensure that wounded officers left permanently disabled aren’t left abandoned, feeling mistreated, and bearing the financial burden on their own without the support that they deserve.

I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read my correspondence and consider my request to meet in person to discuss this idea. My family and I are in desperate need of your help. I await your response.

Respectfully,

Debbie Roselle

203-858-7192