Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

Saturday, September 05, 1998     Page: 2A

WILKES-BARRE- What the city gives it can take away.
   
That’s the lesson Sgt. Michael Rosengrant learned Friday. City officials
announced Rosengrant will have to pay back the overtime he received for time
spent being interviewed by state police in the Frank Crossin case.
    Rosengrant was paid at least four hours overtime for the meeting- a payment
that was also sought by city Patrolman Richard Harding. The payment was
denied.
   
Harding and Rosengrant were among four officers who were placed on paid
administrative leave while state police investigated their handling of the
Luzerne County commissioner’s car crash on Aug. 17 in the Toys R Us parking
lot on Kidder Street.
   
Harding sought eight hours overtime for two meetings he attended with state
police.
   
Rosengrant’s request was mistakenly approved because Rosengrant signed his
own pay slip, Mayor Tom McGroarty said Friday.
   
McGroarty did not know the dollar amount of the overtime pay to Rosengrant,
but said the amount will be deducted from his next check.
   
It was unclear Friday how Rosengrant was able to sign his own pay slip.
Asked if Rosengrant had the authority to do so, McGroarty said the issue “was
next” to be investigated.
   
Harding had sought overtime, contending the state police meeting took place
on his normally scheduled day off. Under the union contract, an officer called
in on his or her day off is guaranteed four hours overtime.
   
But the city balked at the request, noting it did not order Harding to
attend the state police interview.
   
Contacted Friday, Ed Soltis, president of the Police Benevolent
Association, said he did not believe Harding intends to file a union grievance
challenging the overtime denial.
   
The problem arose because of confusion about the time frame covered under
administrative leave, Soltis said. City officials did not take into
consideration that officers have rotating days off when they placed them on
leave, Soltis said. That led to a question about what day was their “official”
day off.
   
Soltis met with