SAUSALITO (KRON) – The state agency in charge of pensions is launching an inquiry to determine if a former police captain in Sausalito is double dipping by saying he can’t do one job here in the Bay Area, but taking another similar job in another county.

According to a spokesperson with Calper’s, the state’s pension system, former Sausalito Police Captain Don MacQuarrie currently receives $10,325 a month in state disability. This amounts to $123,900 a year for the rest of his life. And it does not include possible medical benefits.

A Sausalito city official tells KRON 4’s Terisa Estacio the entire city council and mayor granted 53-year-old MacQuarrie full disability last spring. This decision was made after an expert deemed him incapacitated to do his job as police captain as a result of a neck and shoulder injury. 

Just two months after leaving Sausalito, in August, MacQuarrie was hired by the Seaside Police Department.

Initial reports listed his job as an interim deputy chief. That, however, has changed.

The Seaside city manager tells Terisa that MacQuarrie is on contract as an assistant executive director for the police department and receives $68 per hour, as well as a city car and hotel allowance.

The manager describes MacQuarries job duties as supervising, reviewing traffic reports, investigations and budgets.

Terisa says these are similar to his duties in Sausalito, which included administrative responsibilities such as supervising, reviewing traffic reports, investigations and budgets.

Due to some of the similarities, a spokesperson with Calpers tells Terisa they are looking into the matter.

They note that a person who is retired because of a disability must find another job that is significantly different from the other position in order to qualify for the disability.

And if this doesn’t happen, it’s considered a violation of the state’s pension program.

(Copyright 2009, KRON 4, All rights reserved.)