Explained: Retired NYPD chief John Chell’s $295K disability pension approved by NYC Police Pension Fund

When longtime law enforcement officer John Chell steps away from uniformed duty, he will begin drawing a disability pension of nearly $296,000 a year, a benefit approved by the New York City Police Pension Fund after an on-duty injury, not simply an ordinary retirement. The decision has triggered sharp criticism from city councillors and sparked a wider debate about public sector pensions, accountability, and taxpayer cost in one of America’s largest police forces. Public sector pension benefits for senior officials often remain opaque, yet they carry major financial implications for local government budgets. In Chell’s case, the lifetime commitment of nearly $300,000 a year places him among the highest paid retired officers in the New York City Police Department, raising questions of