Exploring a second career in law enforcement

[john c]

Two years ago I talked a good friend of mine into applying at my agency. He was 42 at the time, and had just sold his business. His background is in finance. He was basically being a ski bum when he applied, and was picked up. He loved the job, and excelled at it. He left after a year because he was offered a CFO job in a division of a Fortune 500 company, making mid 6 figures. I don't mean $150,000; I mean half way between $100k and $1M. It's funny, he wasn't looking for a job at the time, a recruiter picked him up off Linkedin. He took the initial phone interviews from his patrol car.

I told him not to leave, since he hates corporate life, but the money got to him. Also, my agency has a decent retirement, 2.4% per year at 57. He could have retired at 57 with full medical and dental with 36% of his final pay. Basically, he could be done working at 57, while now he'll have to keep working until 65 (when Medicare kicks in).

Fast forward a year, and he's missing police work. He just started the process to become a reserve officer at my dept. My guess is that in a year he'll be back, full time.

Another guy I know was a reserve at my dept for many years. At age 50 he was laid off from his corporate sales job and went full time at my agency. He was an excellent cop, and did it for 15 years, retiring at 65. But he was a super fit guy, the kind of guy who ran half marathons at age 50, so he had no trouble with the physicality.

If you're interested, do it. If you don't like it, you can quit.

My main concern is that you're currently out of work. It will take 3-6 months, minimum, to finish the hiring process. What do you have lined up in the meantime?

[john c]

And that is a sucker bet. When I got hired you could be no more than 30, which put you at retirement in your mid-50s at the latest. My department has removed the age limit because they can't get applicants. They could give a rat's ass if older hires won't make it to full pension rights, they just want to plug holes now. People pushing 40 should consider how well they think they can do the job at 65.

Is your pension based solely on years of service, or on age? For example, our pension vests after 5 years of service at age 57. So if you worked for ages 21 through 26 and quit, you can start drawing a check at age 57. It's the same as working 52 to 57. We get 2.4% per year, so obviously more years means a bigger retirement check. But guys who worked elsewhere will get a lot more Social Security.

Federal LE only gets 1.5% per year for 20 years, and then 1.1% for years over 20 (I could be wrong about this, but would appreciate being corrected. This seems VERY low to me).

For older guys, would they be better off with 15 years in the system, or zero? I think a compensating factor is the requirement to do the job for fewer years after burnout.

[john c]

These are things that are on my mind a lot lately.... I've got 18 years in the Infantry right now, and should be coming up for selection to MSgt/ E-8 on next year's board.... I've got two more years on contract at a minimum.... The questions I keep asking myself is do I want to keep doing what I'm doing right now. I joined the Marine Corps at 19 because I wasn't down with college at that age. I joke sometimes that the real reason I kept reenlisting was because I still wasn't ready to "adult" yet and get a real job.

The Infantry pretty much makes you start driving a desk once you pick up GySgt and while I still like the job I'm not loving what's in the future with it. If I could go back and be a Sgt Rifle Squad Leader for the rest of my time I would....but they won't let us do that.....cause everyone would! That is the best job in the world.... Though you probably don't know it at the time.... Mentoring those guys is really the only time I think that what I'm doing at work actually matters most days.....damn... that last sentence is depressing!

Honestly I think I would enjoy being the new guy on the team again... Plus half my friends in NC and elsewhere are Cops already, pretty sure they will all keep talking to me...

I'm single, no kids or ex wife so no family issues, I also have absolutely no desire to go back to Maryland once I retire....Pretty sure that state would put me on some kind of list as soon as I tried to register all my black tactical things in the collection.

Sooo... These are the things that make me wonder if I should punch out at 20 at age 39 and start something new like Law Enforcement or if I should just try to do 26 or 30 in the Marines and find something else latter.

Speaking from experience, there's not much difference between 39 and 46 with respect to LE. After 20 years, you get to decide each day whether you want to go to work that day. Seriously, as long as you like what you do, keep doing it. When it stops being fun, make the switch. Go be a cop, and then retire after 10-11 years. You'll do fine with your retirement pay on top of your LE pay. When you retire from LE, you'll have another partial retirement on top of it.

[blues]

Federal LE only gets 1.5% per year for 20 years, and then 1.1% for years over 20 (I could be wrong about this, but would appreciate being corrected. This seems VERY low to me).

The guys that came on in the federal system later than I did will have to provide the info on LE retirement under FERS.

I came on under CSRS, (Civil Service Retirement System), and while I had the opportunity to convert over to FERS I said "No thanks, I'll stay with the program I know and understand".

For my retirement we received 2.5% of the first 20 years of LE, and 2.0 for any other years of federal service, whether LE or not. So, as an example, someone who had 30 years would receive 70%. (The 70% would include AUO, (Administratively Unscheduled Overtime), and LEAP, (Law Enforcement Availability Pay). Also, you could retire with a minimum of 20 years under LE at age 50.

The pension receives an annual COLA and the gov't still pays its share of our annual healthcare premium throughout retirement. I think it was a very fair system and I've never felt shortchanged.

Personally, I'm glad that I never opted to go under FERS despite the strong encouragement to do so by Uncle. (Not that I was at all skeptical of his looking out for my best interest, mind you. )

[HCM]

Is your pension based solely on years of service, or on age? For example, our pension vests after 5 years of service at age 57. So if you worked for ages 21 through 26 and quit, you can start drawing a check at age 57. It's the same as working 52 to 57. We get 2.4% per year, so obviously more years means a bigger retirement check. But guys who worked elsewhere will get a lot more Social Security.

Federal LE only gets 1.5% per year for 20 years, and then 1.1% for years over 20 (I could be wrong about this, but would appreciate being corrected. This seems VERY low to me).

For older guys, would they be better off with 15 years in the system, or zero? I think a compensating factor is the requirement to do the job for fewer years after burnout.

The old federal CSRS retirement system gave you 70 to 80% However there was no deferred comp and those people did not get Social Security.

The current retirement system, FERS is 1.5% per year for the first 20 years LE time, then 1% per year for any additional federal time LE or not. However, this pension is supplemented by TSP which is basically a 401(k)/deferred comp program. FERS retirees also paying into and receive Social Security. Federal LE retirees who are forced to retire at 57 before they can collect Social Security receive a special supplement between mandatory retirement age and Social Security eligibility age which makes up the difference.

For most federal LE the additional 25% pay schemes like LEAP and AUO count towards calculation of both pension and matching for TSP.

[URIT]

I spent 33 years in a 900 man police department and enjoyed a great career, but I wouldn't do it again. Today, maybe a 911 operator. Maybe a MIKE ROWE apprentice or a security guard at a nuclear power plant which leads to many other great occupations within the facility plus a nice pension.

There are too many left-turn-only wingnut politicians who have their pension driven chiefs on a short tether and their numbers are growing. These rear-echelon bureaucrats have a strong sense of self-preservation and no longer have a backbone. LEOs are being targeted by politicians, teachers, preachers, and most media sources as the cause for most of today's social ills, while the officers' view from the gutter is quite different.

Tis the season when package delivery demands skyrocket and opportunities for short term employment rise - check with your local postmaster. Good luck.

[blues]

The old federal CSRS retirement system gave you 70 to 80% However there was no deferred comp and those people did not get Social Security.

The current retirement system, FERS is 1.5% per year for the first 20 years LE time, then 1% per year for any additional federal time LE or not. However, this pension is supplemented by TSP which is basically a 401(k)/deferred comp program. FERS retirees also paying into and receive Social Security. Federal LE retirees who are forced to retire at 57 before they can collect Social Security receive a special supplement between mandatory retirement age and Social Security eligibility age which makes up the difference.

For most federal LE the additional 25% pay schemes like LEAP and AUO count towards calculation of both pension and matching for TSP.

We had / still have TSP account but didn't have, I don't think, any matching contribution with CSRS. (I can't recall if we had some sort of match, 1% comes to mind, but whatever...not sure, and it may have been early on when the program began in 1984 or so as an inducement.)

But definitely no social security.

Still, it's been great and I have no complaints.

[TGS]

Small correction: the current FERS LE retirement is calculated on a 1.7% rate, not 1.5%. Those hired prior to 2013 contributed 1.x% of their pay to the pension, while those after 2014 must contribute 4.9% of pay.

Source: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42631.pdf

It's all irrelevant though, as the OP is ineligible for a 6c/12d covered position due to age.

[john c]

The old federal CSRS retirement system gave you 70 to 80% However there was no deferred comp and those people did not get Social Security.

The current retirement system, FERS is 1.5% per year for the first 20 years LE time, then 1% per year for any additional federal time LE or not. However, this pension is supplemented by TSP which is basically a 401(k)/deferred comp program. FERS retirees also paying into and receive Social Security. Federal LE retirees who are forced to retire at 57 before they can collect Social Security receive a special supplement between mandatory retirement age and Social Security eligibility age which makes up the difference.

For most federal LE the additional 25% pay schemes like LEAP and AUO count towards calculation of both pension and matching for TSP.

Thanks, HCM, for the info. How much is the TSP match, assuming the maximum contribution?

[Le Français]

How much is the TSP match, assuming the maximum contribution?

The government will match contributions dollar for dollar for the first 3% of your salary that you contribute, and then matching is 50 cents on the dollar for 2% above that. So, contribute at least 5% to take advantage of all government contributions to your TSP.