All three officers, members of the K-9 squad, were taken off street duty Wednesday after the department learned of the alleged theft. Two of the officers, who are not implicated in any wrongdoing, are expected to return to duty Friday, Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey said.
Ramsey, who said he had seen the surveillance footage, said the matter was still under investigation by Internal Affairs. The money has not been recovered, he said.
"Certainly, the D.A. is taking a very close look at this," he said. "But it's just not something that we can tolerate in this organization."
Initial reports alleged that the officers were videotaped drinking beer as they waited at Pat's, but Ramsey said Thursday that they drank what appeared to be soda or water from the bar fountain, which he described as "not a major infraction."
"Certainly, you should never take anything that you didn't pay for," he said.
The management at Pat's, in the city's Frankford section, declined to comment Thursday.
The trouble started around 4 a.m. Tuesday, with the report of an alarm going off at an automotive detailing shop near the bar. That report turned out to be unfounded, but as the officers looked around the area, they found an open cellar door leading to the basement of Pat's.
They entered the bar and tried several times to contact the bar's security company, Ramsey said. As the officers waited for the company to call back, they sat at the bar and eventually had beverages.
The alleged theft took place just before the officers left, as two were on their way out the door. The safe behind the bar had been left unlocked, Ramsey said.
