From [HERE]

Whoever coined the phrase "crime doesn't pay" never met Jon Burge.

The disgraced former Chicago police commander is still soaking the taxpayers of Illinois for $3,039.03 a month in pension — despite being sentenced in January to four and a half years in federal prison.

Burge would like to be remembered as a decorated and dedicated soldier on the front of the Thin Blue Line. The reality is he was a bully with a badge.

In the 1980s, allegations began to surface that suspects were being beaten and forced into confessions in high-profile cases in Chicago. These were not matters of hitting or kicking suspects in some television docudrama moment of heated interrogation, but involved such things as putting a gun into one suspect’s mouth, putting a plastic bag over the head of another and, in several cases, using a cattle prod against suspects.

Burge and others were accused of taking part in more than 200 such interrogations — including several coerced confessions that put people on death row.

Although a jury acquitted Burge of police brutality charges in 1989, an internal police investigation determined he had used torture tactics and he was fired. Similarly, a special prosecution investigation that cost $17 million indicated there had been wrong-doing, but there were no charges filed because of the statute of limitations.

Meanwhile, Burge — who denies any involvement in the tortures — retired to the sunny climes of Apollo Beach, Florida. About four years after being dumped from the force, his pension kicked in.

Others were left to clean up the mess.

There was a moratorium placed on executing anyone in Illinois, four people were pardoned, and many other convictions with Burge’s name on them were overturned or reversed. The city and some members of the police department were subsequently sued and agreed to settle for $19.8 million.

Burge was arrested on perjury and obstruction of justice charges in 2008 and convicted last year. He was sentenced Jan. 21 by U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow.

Just six days later, the Police Pension Board fell one vote short of what was needed to deny Burge’s $3,000-plus monthly pension. At issue was a stipulation that police officers were not eligible to collect a pension if convicted of a felony “relating to or arising out of or in connection with” that service.

Board member Michael Shields told the Chicago Tribune: "This question all comes down to one issue: Did Jon Burge have any law enforcement duties when he was accused of this perjury? In 2003, he did not."

Members of the review board should be ashamed of themselves, especially because those who voted in Burge’s favor are current or former police officers. Stop hiding behind interpretation that rewards a criminal and in the process undermines the dedication and pride the majority of police officers have for their work.

We’re glad Attorney General Lisa Madigan has decided to sue Burge and the Retirement Board of the Policemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago to stop this travesty.

Illinois taxpayers should not bear responsibility for maintaining a lifestyle of circumventing the law.

Burge is no better than those from whom he was sworn to protect the public.