With more than 600 signatures as of Sept. 25, an online petition filed by Mary Jean Clark urged the town council to give the same medical insurance benefits to recently deceased officer Craig Berner’s family as the township would to an “eligible retiring employee.”
Clark, sister to Craig Berner’s widow Carrie Berner, said the majority of signatures are from within the community and old high school friends who learned of the petition through social media.
According to the petition posted by Clark on Change.org, Berner could have retired after 25 years on the Moorestown police force, but continued to serve the community for 26 years before his death on July 27.
Since his passing, the family had been offered an extension of benefits through COBRA, but the family, not the township, would pay premiums for the benefits. Clark said for Carrie Berner to continue benefits for her family through COBRA, she would have to pay $1,600 a month, which works out to be almost $30,000 within an 18-month period.
She said that the Fraternal Order of Police was able to file an extension so that the township would continue to pay for the Berner family’s benefits until Sept. 30, but is also planning to file a grievance with the township.
“The petition is to support that,” Clark said, referring to the grievance.
As of Sept. 25, Moorestown township manager Scott Carew said he was aware that the Fraternal Order of Police was to file a grievance with the township, but had not yet received it.
Carew said the township does not plan to terminate benefits or has ever terminated benefits for the family. However, since the current contract with the Fraternal Order of Police only covers continual benefits for retirees and those who die in the line of duty, Berner’s family is only eligible for a continuation of benefits through COBRA.
“It’s way beyond a semantical argument,” Carew said. “The deceased did not retire or put in his papers to retire.”
Carew explained that the contract refers to state statue N.J.S.A. 40A that outlines how post-retirement benefits are to be carried out by the township.
In the health and welfare portion of the contract, provided by Carew, between the Fraternal Order of Police and the township, the following is stated:
“The township will continue to provide medical coverage to an eligible retiring employee and his family at no cost to the employee, provided that the employee has served the township twenty-five (25) years. This coverage and the rules concerning the eligibility shall be only as allowed under N.J.S.A. 40A: 10–23 as supplemented and amended.”
Berner died in a motorcycle accident involving himself and an off-duty detective from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s office. The investigation into the accident is ongoing by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, which stepped into the investigation due to a potential conflict of interest, according to Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor’s office.
“He was a good man,” Clark said. “He always looked out for the underdog.”
Clark explained that after the township and the Fraternal Order of Police ratified the new contract, Craig Berner believed that his family would be covered as long as he had put 25 years of service into the force.
“He felt in his heart that they were solid,” Clark said. “I know if he thought otherwise, he would have had other plans.”
She explained that in years to come, he did intend to retire from the force, but continued after hitting the 25-year mark because he felt he was still young and his kids were still in school.
Craig Berner was starting a screen printing business on his off-time, Clark explained, and it had just begun to take off six months before he was killed.
“I think his goal was when it had the momentum, he would retire,” Clark said.
Clark explained that Craig Berner was also reluctant to retire from his job because he liked what he was doing.
Clark said the Fraternal Order of Police was a great support to Carrie Berner, who is a stay-at- home mother.
While she is entitled to receive one half of Craig Berner’s base-salary and a one-time life insurance payment, Clark said that, minus overtime and extra shifts, Carrie Berner and her family will still be losing approximately 70 percent of the family’s household income, which after the mortgage and other expenses, leaves it difficult to pay for COBRA.
Currently, Clark explained that she and her sister have been researching the Affordable Healthcare Act, but said that to qualify, the family has to be without health care for six months.
“I’d love to see the township give her a job. They don’t have to pay her much, but just give her benefits,” Clark said. “I’d like to see the town get creative to make this right.”
Carew also added that the township does sympathize with the Berner family.
“This case is a very unfortunate situation,” Carew said. “The township’s position has nothing to do with our emotions. Our emotions follow the same as everybody else’s, but we must do what the law allows us to do.”
In addition, Clark urges residents to contact the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office with any information regarding the motorcycle accident leading to Craig Berner’s death.
The petition can be found at www.change.org/petitions/moorestown-nj-township-council-d-scott-carew-stacey-f-jordan-christopher-chiacchio-phil-garnood-greg-newcomer-victoria-napolitano-continue-health-benefits-for-patrolman-craig-berner-s-family.
