Fired Philly detective back on the force
An arbitrator has reinstated Kenneth Rossiter, a veteran Philly homicide detective who was fired last June for alleged overtime abuse.
KENNETH ROSSITER, the veteran Philadelphia police detective who was fired by Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey in June for alleged overtime abuse, is headed back to the Homicide Unit.
Rossiter was reinstated by an arbitrator earlier this week.
"The arbitrator ruled in his favor, which we kind of expected," John McNesby, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said Friday.
"From all accounts, didn't present much of a case at all. . . . It's good that he's back. He was good at his job in homicide."
Rossiter, a 30-year veteran of the force, declined to comment when reached by phone.
An Internal Affairs investigation was launched last year over an anonymous complaint that alleged Rossiter had collected overtime by checking into court and then heading to his home in Bustleton.
City records showed that Rossiter made $92,863 in overtime in 2011, on top of a base salary of $69,521. In 2010, he was the city's top overtime earner, collecting $91,271.
McNesby said the arbitrator's ruling would allow Rossiter to collect back pay, but was unsure if he would also be entitled to lost overtime. Rossiter can also resume his post in the Homicide Unit.
The veteran detective told the Daily News last summer that the Internal Affairs file on his case alleged that he stole $1,226, but didn't contain any video or photographic evidence to support the allegations.
He said the relentless nature of homicide investigations led him to sometimes work from home.
At the time of Rossiter's firing, Ramsey noted that he was somewhat conflicted, given Rossiter's prowess as an investigator.
But on Friday, Ramsey said he was "disappointed" with the arbitrator's ruling.
"The people who should really be frustrated with this process are the residents of Philadelphia," he said.
"It's their police department, and their voices should be heard when it comes to the quality of the personnel that are a part of the department."
- Staff writer Barbara Laker contributed to this report.