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March 1990
POLICE RETIREMENT: THE IMPACT OF CHANGE
By
John M. Violenti, Ph.D
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine
State University of New York
Buffalo, New York
Retirement is an important life event, bringing with it many
adjustments and challenges. Changes in lifestyle, friendships,
self-esteem, and vocation are all part of the process.
Retirement is especially difficult for police officers who
leave the law enforcement profession at middle age, often
unprepared for the consequences of change. However, by providing
the necessary information to help them make crucial decisions
before retirement, officers can make a smooth and productive
transition into civilian life.
RETIREMENT CONSIDERATIONS
There are five general areas that police officers should
consider at the point of retirement:
* The rationale of a decision to retire
* The possible effects of retirement on officers and their
families
* Locating other jobs or continuing education
* Developing appropriate job-seeking and/or educational skills
* Finding job placement assistance
Rationale of the Decision
Perhaps the first concern is to determine why officers
decide to retire. Individuals who work in policing for 20-25
years have invested much time and personal sacrifice, making the
decision to ``hang up the uniform'' a difficult one. Officers
need to recognize, however, that there does come a time when that
decision must be made.
Decisions on whether to remain in the profession depend on
many factors. Some officers leave after 20-25 years of service
to find new opportunities; others because of job stress,
dissatisfaction, administrative problems, or discipline. Then
there are those who stay because they like police work and cannot
envision themselves doing anything else, while others stay
because of financial burdens, comfort and security, fear of
starting over, or because they have nothing else to do.
If officers decide to continue in policing, it should be for
the obvious reasons--dedication, love of police work, or
community spirit. To remain in police work for less acceptable
reasons is psychologically unhealthy for the officers and
unproductive for the department. If, on the other hand, officers
decide to retire, they should actively plan for the impact of
change.
Effects of Retirement
A second factor to consider is the effect that retirement
may have on officers. The transition from public servant to
private citizen can be difficult. There is a certain feeling of
isolation when officers must clean out their lockers and ``pack
it in.'' Uniforms, firearms, and the most prized possession--the
badge--must be relinquished. One officer described this process
as ``losing a part of my soul.'' These feelings are indicative
of a cohesiveness among police officers that is not found in many
other professions. When an officer leaves this environment,
feelings of detachment and fear may develop.
An officer's family is also affected by retirement. One
thing that is inevitable is the change in income; most
departmental retirement plans provide a 50-percent pay for
retirees. Many will also experience a decrease in medical and
dental benefits and an increase in insurance costs. Items like
vacation pay, rank, seniority, and privileges will no longer be
available.
Besides reduced income and benefits, the family must deal
with a change in lifestyle. Police families must adjust to
officers who do not find work and stay at home. If spouses are
working, an ego conflict may arise between husband and wife.
Perhaps children, most likely of college age, will have to find
alternative sources to pay tuition and other costs. Also,
mortgage, car, and other major expenses may have to be
readjusted.
Thus, before an officer retires, the family should be
involved in the decisionmaking process. By discussing these
issues beforehand, a family can develop strategies to deal with
them together.
Other Employment or Continuing Education
A third consideration for retiring officers to consider is
information about work and/or continuing education. Since most
officers intend to work in some capacity after retirement, a
major problem is finding another job. Forcese and Cooper (1) found
that retired police officers do not have many occupational
experiences other than policing. Few had carefully planned their
retirement in terms of income and developing alternative
vocations. Senior officers frequently assumed administrative
positions in other organizations, and line officers engaged in
manual labor in some self-employed capacity. Approximately 25
percent performed some type of security work after retirement.
Since police officers have few vocational alternatives, it
may be necessary to seek assistance in employment. State
employment job services are available in most areas for this
purpose. Services include aptitude and interest testing, ability
testing, job listings, and job-seeking skills. There is a
reference job guide called THE DICTIONARY OF OCCUPATIONAL
TITLES, (2) which gives a complete description of almost any
type of occupation. This guide is available at any public
library. Other sources for available jobs include newspapers,
civil and Federal job information centers, journals, and
contacts through friends and relatives. As for continuing
education, community colleges and universities generally do not
require entrance tests for part-time adult students. Police
officers are usually good students because of their life
experiences. Many colleges offer credit for such experiences,
as well as academic and vocational training. Catalogs of
courses and activities are available upon request from colleges.
Seeking Another Job
Just knowing what kind of job one desires is
not sufficient to get that job. Most individuals who seek a
career change at middle age have inadequate job-seeking
behaviors. They have not been in the job hunting market for a
long time. Thus, a fourth area for officers to consider is to
get training in the job-seeking process. Practical tasks like
writing resumes, cover letters, filling out job applications,
and interviewing techniques are helpful. Again, State job
services provide training sessions in these areas. Also, local
high schools may have evening adult programs designed to assist
in gaining these important skills. If they are not available,
libraries have many self-help books on applying for jobs.
Job Placement
A fifth factor to consider is where to find job
placement should individual job searches be unsuccessful.
Generally, State and local employment services are best. These
services have the resources and training available to help the
individual find work, and they are free. Some people turn to
private agencies for placement, but there may be a fee involved.
If one feels more at ease with other police officers, a
suggestion might be to start a job club. A group of officers
can meet on a weekly basis and discuss their job-hunting efforts
and resources among the group. Often, information is developed
in such groups which is beneficial to individual members. The
old adage that ``many heads are better than one'' certainly
applies here. This approach has been very successful in other
occupational groups. It is important to realize that status as
an ex-police officer may affect a prospective employer's
decision to hire. In the majority of cases, being a police
officer is beneficial to the job applicant. There are some
employers, however, who may be hesitant about hiring ex-police
officers. They may have developed inaccurate stereotypes (most
likely from television) of police officers as insensitive
ruffians who could not possibly do anything else but be a
``cop.''
Officers should be aware of this apparent occupational
prejudice. A good practice would be to determine beforehand if
the employer has turned down officers in the past. This can be
done by contacting other retirees from the department who may
have applied for a position with the company in question. If
employment is still desired, it may become necessary not to
mention a previous police career but to list only experiences
and transferable skills developed in that career. Fortunately,
organizations who react this way to police officers are scarce.
Another possible area of discrimination is age. Employers may
prefer younger employees and program their hiring practices
toward such persons. The retiring police officer, who may be
between 40-50 years of age, is at a disadvantage. Although
Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, it is
important to be aware that it does happen. Job applicants may
legally be requested to give their ages, but the potential
employer may not use this information as a reason to not hire an
applicant. If retired officers believe they have been
discriminated against because of age, there is legal recourse
available through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) free of charge. Any person over the age of 40 is
considered part of a protected class.
Retired police officers should not become discouraged when
seeking another job. Often, it takes from 6 months to a year to
find a job. In the meantime, continued association with police
friends and the department offers a good source of support when
times seem difficult. Always remember that police officers,
with all their life experiences and skills, are valuable assets
to the community.
THE ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT
For the good of the department, as well as the individual
officer, provisions should be made for a retirement
counseling/career guidance training program. The program should
include resources from the community that will assist officers
through the retirement process. Topics might include retirement
benefits, insurance, job-seeking techniques, psychology of
retirement, and financial management. If resources are
available, a job resource bank and placement center could be
developed within the department. Through contact efforts of a
placement officer, retiring officers would have a listing of
jobs available in the community.
Departments will profit from such a program. Many are
employing officers who are there simply because they do not know
how or when to leave. With departmental guidance to help these
officers make a decision, this problem can be reduced
substantially.
CONCLUSION
Although retirement is often considered by police officers
as a final reward, careful consideration must be given to its
consequences. The best way to deal with retirement is to
prepare adequately. Plan for both good and bad experiences.
For those who have served their community well, retirement and
possibly a new career are well-deserved. Retirement can
certainly be the best part of a police officer's life, if one is
properly and systematically prepared for the change.
FOOTNOTES
(1) D. Forcese and J. Cooper, ``Police Retirement Career Succession
or Obsolescence,'' Canadian Police College Journal, vol. 9,
1985, pp. 413-424.
(2) The Dictionary of Occupational Titles is a collection of job
descriptions in the United States. It is useful in determining
the qualifications, requirements, and description of
occupations.
_____________
For additional information on retirement counseling and
career guidance training, contact the author at the Department
of Social and Prevention Medicine, State University of New York
at Buffalo, 2211 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214.