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Thread: Twenty seven months.......................

  1. #1
    Site Supporter Trooper224's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
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    Wichita

    Twenty seven months.......................

    .............. until I'm not a cop anymore.

    A couple of days ago I sat down and figured out my optimal retirement date within our system and 01 of 2019 looks to be it. I could stay longer, but when I consider any increases in my retirement past that mark, as well as looking at opportunities in the private sector, there seems less and less reason for sticking around. It actually seems a bit strange to have it that close. Choices..................
    We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......

  2. #2
    Member
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    Oct 2013
    Location
    East Greenwich, RI
    Outstanding! There's life after retirement...enjoy!

    Stay safe.....

  3. #3
    I really enjoy seeing guys on the downslope working out their time. They know they are done soon, we know they are done soon and we just keep trucking along.

    In the last two years seven officers have retired from my squad. All 35+ years on the job.

    Each and everyone of them came to work every day, never got a hint of senioritis. They didn't unload their duties on anyone and still made arrests upto their last day.

    One moved down to FL to play golf all the time, he said he enjoyed the chapter of his life that was police work and that he envies those of us who are on the upswing.

    Only thing I will say is that around the last 9 months or so, you might want to start passing off jobs and arrests to younger guys so that they can show up to court for it since you'll be busy doing whatever it is retirees do. My PD has younger guys shadow soon to be retirees and cosign all reports so that they can testify on them without bothering the retiree.

    Also, have you considered putting in a transfer to a unit or another location to see if you can reignite the fire?
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  4. #4
    Site Supporter Trooper224's Avatar
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    I'm not counting the days just yet, as a lot of things can change in the next two years. A recent retiree I worked with started counting the days at three years out and it showed in his attitude. I told him what I thought of that and needless to say, I'm not on his christmas card list. I was in it on my first day and I'll be in it on my last.

    I already have young guys volunteering to take calls and they've been doing that for a while now. They're just trying to be nice and full of fire, but I have to remind them I'm still getting paid and I need something on the tally sheet just like they do. Typically for us, the last year on is when you stop being the lead on major cases, six months to go and you're turning over any arrests to someone else and your last thirty days you're only getting involved if someone needs to be beat or shot, or unless someone is getting beat or shot.

    I've worked in rural and metro areas throughout my career. I've also done SWAT as well as serving as an academy instructor, so I pretty well have a closet full of special t-shirts and a transfer to something different has already been done more than once. It isn't about reigniting the fire because I'm not a burn out. I firmly believe that, with everything in life, we reach a point where we're done. It isn't necessarily about being burnt out, disillusioned, dissatisfied or anything of that nature. You simply reach a point where you've given everything you have to give to the endeavor and you're done. I also think it's important to acknowledge that when it occurs and be willing to take the next step. I'm self aware enough to know that I'm almost to that point and I don't want to become one of the guys who's only biding his time and everyone wonders why he's still around. I believe in quitting while you're ahead and I'd rather go when they'll miss me than when they can't wait to see me go.

    I also have to think about my age. Retiring then would put me at 53. Waiting longer would have me trying to enter the civilian work force closer to sixty than fifty. I'm actually in excellent shape for a man my age, but fifty ain't thirty no matter how you cut it. A major international corporation has its headquarters here in our city. Any one of several prospects in their security division would be a pretty sweet deal which includes a second retirement after ten years. There's also contracting with the Marshals for federal courthouse security or being an agent with the state gaming commission. I have the advantage of having contacts in all of those places and the paycheck from any one of them, when combined with my retirement, would make for a rather hefty pay raise. Many of my former partners have gone into all of those, so I'd still be rollin' with my homies.

    We've all known bitter old retirees who leave with a, "Fuck you all and fuck this place." attitude. I think that's rather sad and tragic and that's not who I am. However, the time has come to weigh options and make decisions. Fortunately I have the former and have time to do the latter. The big thing is, I don't know where the time went.
    Last edited by Trooper224; 09-12-2016 at 08:10 AM.
    We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......

  5. #5
    banana republican blues's Avatar
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    Aug 2016
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    Blue Ridge Mtns
    Congrats. I pulled the plug at 51 and I have never second guessed my decision. (I remember when I started on the job hearing some of the "older" guys talking about their plans to retire and I told one of my young colleagues that I'd do the job for free!)

    I do miss some of the camaraderie and the chase but I've never regretted making the choice. We were financially secure, bought a nice home in the Blue Ridge mountains and live outside a small but thriving town.

    Life is good.

    I hope your plans work out just as you envision them.

  6. #6
    Member
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    Feb 2011
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    S.W. Ohio
    I'm not far behind you. I could leave now, but my optimum date to leave is 2-19, so it's 28 months out for me..........

  7. #7
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    Sep 2013
    Location
    Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
    Congratulations Trooper224. I retired a couple years ago with 30 years and have not regretted it a bit. I enjoyed the job up to the last but like one of our older retirees said once, "you'll know when it is time to go." Only advice I would give anybody retiring is don't burn any bridges no matter how tempting and enjoy your retirement, you earned it.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Range1 View Post
    Congratulations Trooper224. I retired a couple years ago with 30 years and have not regretted it a bit. I enjoyed the job up to the last but like one of our older retirees said once, "you'll know when it is time to go." Only advice I would give anybody retiring is don't burn any bridges no matter how tempting and enjoy your retirement, you earned it.
    What happens when I its time to go but you aren't at retirement age yet
    Last edited by voodoo_man; 09-12-2016 at 09:12 AM.
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  9. #9
    Member Luke's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
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    Alabama
    That's awesome man! I can't wait to retire. I have a little longer, roughly 480 months, but it's getting closer everyday.
    i used to wannabe

  10. #10
    Member
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    Sep 2013
    Location
    Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
    Grab a shot of a good bourbon and repeat until feeling goes away?

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