Giving up the badge

First off let me say I will have 25 years in LE at the end of the year, so im not just talking about theory i know what the guy is talking about.

Ive seen a LOT of people go through this. Know of several that currently won't retire who could have retired YEARS ago. Im talking about people that are literally working for free or close to it if you consider what they would get paid in retirement vs what they make now. They won't come out and say it but they are scared of what this dude talks about. The job has literally been their reason for existence for 30 years or more and can't live without feeling "needed". Know of several cops (one was in my own family) that cannot have a  conversation without talking about death, dead people, investigations, etc. The dud e was literally never off work.

If you are a young i urge you to balance this job with your personal life. I didn't for many years and it almost cost me my family and at one point my life.

Then about 2 years ago I had a  physical issue requiring surgery and I was out of work for about 6-7 months. being home every day and NOT being able to work showed me that 1) the world will continue spinning if im not at work 2) My family, friends, church, etc really does need me more than the .gov needs me to be at work. 3) there is a life out there that I have missed out on for a couple of decades because of being on call 24/7/365 (and im not exaggerating)

Now im at the point in my career that I enjoy watching young officers grow and prepare to take my place in the organization. The one thing I have always NEVER wanted to be seen as by others  is the selfish guy who "wont' retire so someone else can get promoted"

There is no shame in seeing a counselor if you are afraid of retirement. Hell ive seen one off and on for years about some personal stuff and it was one of the best decisions ive ever made long term.

PLEASE get a life outside of this job. And by "a life outside this job" i don't mean a gun club for cops exclusively, a PBA bar, or a police softball league. I mean with your family or friends that aren't LE.

And yes it is perfectly acceptable to get a retirement job that isn't working at another LE agency. In fact my suggestion is to do just that so you can better adjust.

i have about 5-6 years left until retirement. I can't wait. Damn I can't wait!  

Enjoy your retirement then

Start a brewery.  Buy a home brew kit now.

I'm 28 years on, I have been thinking about this a lot.  Earlier in my career I have said that I cant wait until retirement.  Now as it looms I'm not as sure, this is what I know and this is what I do.

A retirement job other than L.E.?

Doing what? I only have 2 skills: listening to endless lies and petty bullshit, and documenting that petty bullshit for worthless people to give twisted affirmation to their meaningless lives.

So with 40 years in last month I should be thinking about retirement? Eighteen months I'm done for good, two full retirements.

run for office?

I know what you mean, I was one of those folks. Not afraid of retirement per se, I just never even thought about it.

One of my academy mates stopped by the office one day after yet another meaningless BS meeting where nothing was accomplished and asked, "John, why are you still here?"

i honestly had no answer. The question had never even occurred to me.  He told me, "call the benefits lady and ask how much you'll make"   i was GONE before the end of the month.

If not for him mentioning it I would more than likely have died in that office.

We could always use that expertise in the security field. Just some food for thought.

Quit working LE to go work security?  Why retire to work an even more miserable lower-paying job?

sounds like you'd be a good fit for Human Resources!

OP has 25 complete, plans 6 more, starts thread telling others to not hang around too long.

LOL.

The pension-fund manager will love you for actually having the courtesy to die at your retirement party.

Where I work you have to have 30 to retire
I'll be in my early 50's

I'm damn sure not going to cry and moan that I can't spend every day with the dregs of society anymore though

Take care stay safe! Glad I'm in the federal system only 20 years for me and they take my military service into count! Not that I get the years in service knocked off the 20 years but I do get them tacked on in the end!

I retired last year after 23 years in a municipal police department. I’ve seen it all and done it all, and it has definitely changed me, in many ways for the worse.

I’ve taught at the police academy for 13 years and I’ve gotten more hours there and even started working at another police academy since I’ve retired.  I love the job and I hated the job, I have nothing but respect for the young men and young women who want to do it today, and I feel “needed” by working at the police academy but without all the petty bullshit and danger associated with the real job.

It doesn’t hurt that the two main subjects I teach are firearms and EVOC.   But truthfully as I look at my circle of friends, all of them are cops or retired cops. My wife asked me why that is and I tell her because cops are the only ones that know how the world really is. Deluding myself? Who knows?

But life is great now, retire when you can!

Pulling the plug this November after 31 years. I didn't go sooner because I enjoyed locking up bad guys. I came into work a couple weeks ago and... the desire wasn't there anymore. I'd been told that when the lust for the game ends its time to go because you'll make a mistake and bad things happen. I've trained up some good younger guys to step in. I've had my fun and the job has allowed me to do things most people only read about. It's time.

Someone has a future in HR I see...

30 years?  Ouch.

I love my job. That said, I have friends outside of LE and know that there are good people outside of LE circles. I have hobbies and interests outside of LE, I take vacations when I feel burned out, I enjoy doing things with my wife, and sometimes, I just lay on a float in the pool in the sun and just totally relax.

Then, when I go into work, if I see something funny, I laugh at it. I don't care if my laughter offends someone. It's funny. You are supposed to laugh at funny things. So I do.

I love my job and it's a huge part of my life. But it's not the only part of my life.

Yeah

Today I hit the "send" button starting the ball rolling for separation in a few months.  I could stay on another 7 years, but getting out now while I am young enough allows me to start up a project on some foreclosed property I picked up for a sweet deal.

I have absolutely no delusions I am the job--I've been flying a desk at HQ for 20 years now.  While the higher pay has been nice, its been so long since I've done any real work, I have forgotten what its like. But from my vantage point, law enforcement isn't what it was when I came on.  The distrust, disdain, and disrespect for law enforcement as a profession is personally disheartening.  Problems that could be fixed by leadership are allowed to continue to fester, wasting time and money that I'm tired of seeing continue.  I cant wait until I'm my own boss, and the success or failure of my ventures are resting on my shoulders, and not the political decisions of those who are more worried about politics than effectiveness.

I had a close friend and mentor at another agency who died from a heart  attack the day he retired at age 60.  He was a smoker in poor health, but I'm determined to go out at 50 and take care of myself to enjoy the time I have left.  I remember some of our lunchtime discussions of what we each wanted to do after retiring, and I owe it to him and myself to not let the job get the better of us both.  (RIP Pete)
 

I have nothing but respect for those who continue the profession.  I just know for me, my transition is something I look forward to with anticipation.  I know there will be difficult times.  I welcome the transition.

I did 26 years with 99% in uniformed patrol (by my choice) and ended my run as a watch commander. I was only 48 years old when I did go and one of the biggest factors that lead up to me going was watching all of the old timers with 30/33/35+ years finally retiring and dying within a year of their last day because that's what others told them to do We had a guy put in 42 years (mostly as a detective)and worked out and took decent care of himself only to last 6 months to the day of his retirement day. If you entered this job relatively young remember that you gave the agency the best years of your life. My take on it was that I was going to give myself as much time as I gave the job keeping in mind they got the good years. As for as knowing how to do nothing else,  that's crap. This is the time you do what you've always wanted to do but never had time. Those officers that live for the job and are there 24/7 working for the big overtime check and spiking the pension have already lost track of what they wanted out of life. Make a financial plan early with professional help and you can enjoy post agency life without worries, haven't you earned it.

If it wasn't for my divorce, I would have retired in 2016. That had been my goal all along. The house would have been paid off, the kids out of college. Now I have a new mortgage on a new house, and no desire to hurry the day when my ex is getting 29% of my pension. I've scaled back, for sure. I resigned from my part time agency last week, so its the first time in 28 years that I have only one job. I'm taking less OT so that I can do stuff I want to do in my off time.

Retirement's  the best dudes. Another half of your life on the other end. Make the most of it

These days, I find it hard to think about working past 20.

Sounds like your ready for a job in customer service handling warranty claims. BTDT

Been playing the game for 34 years now.  Only reason I ain't out the door is insurance.  If I keep what I got I'll be paying most of my check to health care insurance.

Ain't that the truth.

Some street cops really don't like us in Corrections, some do, but the never ending crap behind the wire will wear you down as well. I can't retire  until I am 62.5 years old, and I will happily hang up the uniform for the last time - getting hit with flying feces and urine gets old fast, and watching my staff getting hauled out in ambulances are experiences I never want to go through again. Shift Commander now - if I live long enough I'll retire as a Captain, don't plan on going any higher than that. Thank you to all of you who worked the street keeping your cities, towns and rural areas safe. Enjoy your retirements - you earned them many times over.

I don't think I could ever do Corrections - No way, no thanks - kudos to those who can.

I retired and did a job for a year and a half outside of law enforcement.

I took another job job as a LEO. I missed the job.

I got started late in my L.E. career at 39 after a 20 military career.  My plan was another 20 but I didn't quite make it.  During my LEO career I was a Patrol Officer, Detective and a Sergeant/Watch Commander.

As I got older my tolerance for stupid went down.  At about 19 years service, 58 years old, the wife told me to quit bitching, pick a date and retire.  So I did.  Missed it at first but it sure was nice not working shifts and dealing with drunks in bars.  That and there had been a couple of incidents that stuck in my mind and I knew it was time to go.

Few months later the local Sheriff wanted to hire me part time to serve civils and be the Training Officer.  It was only 19 hours a week and I worked my own hours so why not.  I did that for 5 years.  During that time I declined a full time Captain position.

A few months ago I resigned from the part time position and started enjoying full time retirement.  I haven't looked back.

I think every officer on the street should start out in Corrections. It would weed out some of the special snowflakes in uniform that we always complain about

I used to totally agree. Corrections people make better Patrolmen for several reasons.

Then, I ran across this person. Talked very gung-ho about going to the road. Got a job in corrections. Wouldn't be caught dead in a pod, wormed her way into whatever you call the person in the tower in the center of a group of pods.

So, I have to qualify the statement now; corrections where you are in close custody with inmates, or responsible for responding to problems. Not admin or button pushers.

What was it about the non-LEO job that caused you to want to leave?

What was it that you missed most about LEO work to want to go back?

Serious questions from an inquisitive mind.

Also did the doctors diagnose your mental illness?

Not a cop but fire. We have one of those guys now who is a heart attack looking for a place to happen and he could have retired at full pension four or five years ago. As a member of our pension board I applaud his dedication. As for me I have the date of my departure memorized and eagerly anticipate my last shift.

For us you can retire at 50% at 20 years or stay for 30 years to cap at 75% but you don’t get a dime more for a day past 30. Working till 30 would put me at 59 and I don’t want to do this stuff at that age unless they give me a white helmet and a desk before then so I’m out at 25.

I do understand the argument against making the job your identity. Lots of people on this side do the same thing. We’ve got retirees who spend nearly as much time sitting around the station drinking coffee and telling the same old war stories as they do at home. When I’m out, I’m out and leaving the state.

I did twenty in an inner city PD.

Retired and taught school for another twenty.

If you retire and want to work, do something different from law enforcement.

I had a co-worker like that, he was miserable at work but could have retired at least 12 years earlier IIRC. Finally his department doctor put him in for retirement because he kept going out for months at a time for a LOD back injury. He retired and now lives on 100 acres in WV, he told me he should have listened to people and retired way earlier.

2 years, seven months, and 15 days.



I missed a lot of family things working on the other side of the state.  About five years ago it hit me I only got so much time with my parents around.  I took a transfer closer to home and spent about four or five  years ago being closer and doing things with family.   We lost mom last fall.  I have no regrets putting work second.  Taking the vacation time.  Skip the holiday pay and be with family.

I sure as hell don’t have the right answers but I have watched too many guys work 35-38 years and then get stricken with cancer or have a heart problem.

I plan to retire when I am eligible and work a little bit but not likely in law enforcement.  Two or three days a week is enough.

I had planned on maxing the years but a bunch of factors made me rethink I it, health, changing management styles and attitudes, changing public.   I have been socking a good amount in a 457b and will hopefully have a pension.  I should be fine.  Of course I can re evaluate my time line when I actually hit the 25 year eligibility.

It’s a good job but there is indeed more to life.

During our last 3 day Mental Health training gig one of the things they spoke about was retirement, and the average for retirees in corrections was 18 months before death, and the average age of death for a CO is 58. Means my time is very short....

Our retirees never darken our door unless they have some specific reason to come in, such as changes to pistol permits etc.
Ww just did our first 218 quals last year and there were some retirees who showed up who were gone before I started 30 years ago.

I had heard long ago that it was important to not let the job consume your life or to absolutely define you. I would say that my closest buddies are in education, I.T., finance, engineering, etc.

I’m 45 with almost 21 years on the job. I’ve got a great assignment, supervising a small proactive specialty unit, with lots of overtime.   But I’m ready to go. I’m about 85% sure I’m done next month. Looking to move from city crime to keeping school kids safe out in a very rural area. Summers, weekends, nights and holidays will be mine!

*Edited, because I don’t know how old I am.  

Great post!

Another thing that has set in for me lately is, let’s just slow things down a bit. Very few things are worth your life.

Unfortunately I have lost friends to stupid stuff

I’d love to high tail out at 25, but it looks like I’m gonna have to hit 30. I’m at 17 now.

Those who die prematurely typically had health problems to begin with and didn't take care of themselves.

Get exercise. When you are involved in something high stress/adrenaline dump, don't go home and do anything other than some intense exercise. Running, biking, swimming....whatever.  Get that excess adrenaline out of your system.

Once you retire, keep up the exercise. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum and keep exercising. Lift weights a few days a week and at least walk a few miles a week.

Baring bad genetics, there is no reason you need to be dying within a few years of retirement. I know plenty of cops who lived long after retirement.

Realistically, it's not just cops who die not long after retirement. Humans do. You HAVE to have a reason to get up in the morning and keep living. Volunteer, get an easy part time job, travel, new hobby, a dog....whatever. Have a reason to live. Laugh a lot. Eat healthy but delicious foods. Enjoy that sunset or sunrise every day. Go see something you always wanted to see.

The world moves on after you retire...it's best to do the same after hanging up your spurs.

I retired once and moved out of state.  I got bored and went back to the job.  I have 31 years on.  I have two kids in college, so I may do another 4.  I'll be forced to leave at 6.

OP is correct about balancing the job and life.  I have 9 close friends on the ODMP.  I went through a really ruff patch before there was any CISD protocall.  Thank god for my wife and her understanding, or I would have lost my family.

My oldest son is in his junior year of a criminal justice degree, I tried to talk him out of it.  He's ROTC and will have a 5 year commitment to the Army after school.  I hope he stays in or moves on to an alphabet agency.

If you don't do it right, this job will eat you up and spit you out.

can the church say Amen....