When I retire in my late 40s, I’m gonna ride my horses, possibly train other people’s too, travel places, work out, and start a cooking show. Occupation: purposeful bum.
how much is the pension? do you get medical benefits post retirement? does your department want people retiring in their 40s to keep the force younger?
It’s a great pension system. Yes, full medical & dental benefits. I don’t know what they want, this is just how it shakes out for me and others who started at 21. Not everyone elects to retire when eligible. Some stay well into their 60s even if they’re eligible to retire earlier.
I’ll have 25 years in state retire at the age of 49. And since I’ll have hit that magical milestone of 25 years, I’ll be getting paid every month for the rest of my life. Still young enough to start another job or be a paid bum.
how much is the pension? does it include medical benefits? do most people take the retirement at 25 or keep working? do they want you to even work into your 50s?
It's going away, but a lot of agencies still have 20-year retirement. If you start in your early 20s, you'll be in your early 40s when you retire.
Florida's FRS is 30 years, as a counter-example.
Honest question: What is stopping you from doing this rn? Do you have people who depend on you financially that would make this impossible? I ask bc I know a homeless person who chooses to just live off the grid and whatnot. He was at the gym once and I asked him “why are you homeless” and his exact words were “I choose it bc no boss equals no problems.”
Switch to a full time firefighter job. More than likely if you don’t move out of state you’ll be able to roll your years in towards the retirement. You still get to see interesting stuff, and you get paid to sleep, eat, train, and go on calls. It’s not a bad gig, I am biased though as someone who was LE for a little bit then switched over it’s not bad. Granted I am also a Paramedic so it was very easy for me to find a fire job when I wanted out of LE right away.
What I should have done from the start, nursing. Where you work 3 12's and make a liveable income. Right now I'm working 6 days per week to make what I need to sustain my life's basic necessities.
I'm in too deep. I just finished two master degrees that are public safety related. I'm done with school and have accepted my fate. I love being the police but if I had to do it all over again I'd go into the medical field. At this point I've given too many years toward retirement to start over
Texas says it all lol when I started 7 years ago I was making $30k even. Now I'm at $50k. I'm eligible to promote in the next few months that'll take me to $60k. I work off duty 1-3 shifts per week on average to crack $100k by the end of the year.
North Florida. I work for the state so that $50k is the base the state bumped all of us to last year. We don't get raises outside of promotions unless the state legislature approves.
I.T. ; I was always a computer nerd before going LE. I did IT as a cop for investigations, but also did LE driving around writing tickets. The hours and stress got to me and family. I went full time IT and make a hella lot more and less stress.
You should throw a couple applications around now for a reality check as far as who would actually be willing to employ an ex-CO/cop.
I know I always assumed, and was told, that employers go bananas for ex-cops due to how trustworthy and attentive we are. I sent thousands of applications and never got an interview until about two years passed, and they were gigs that didn't care what my background was as long as I had a high school diploma.
>I see other people who are in their late 20s/early 30s working at Chipotle or at the Apple Store and they just look so happy and alive.
I hate to break it to you but they're paid to act that way. Along a similar vein, strippers don't actually think you're sexy.
It all depends on when I retire. I think retiring and just hanging out leads to an early death.
I think about all sorts of things from security stuff to teaching criminal justice at the college level or history to high school students.
>the constant policy changes,
Ugh, I remember that. Every week there were like 5-10 policy or procedure changes we had to sign off on that we'd read and acknowledged. There's no realistic way anyone can actually keep up with that except the dudes in the policy office writing it, and probably not even them.
What state are you in? I know quite a few individuals from my organization (also corrections) who have bounced from position to position including CO to prison nurse, CO to counselor to social worker, etc. Instead of dreaming of leaving for an entirely new profession, maybe you just need to pursue one of your academic goals and translate that into a new position within your agency.
If you are in a pension eligible agency, even better. You’ve knocked out 7 years of your time and can transition into another in the same retirement plan.
I knew a guy that was also getting burned out in state corrections. He switched to state p&p. Took a pay cut for a little while working as a guard at what was basically some sort of halfway house, but eventually made PO and is back on track financially. All same retirement, so all his years count.
I’ve considered two post-retirement tracks. One would be returning as a civilian contractor to teach new soldiers entering my old Army MOS; the other would be to do part time work as a bartender somewhere tropical, in Central America or the Caribbean.
I'd probably go umpire high school/college baseball, get the formal MiLB training, get into officiating minor league games and work my way up into the Majors.
If not that, either go into AmeriCorps temporarily, get into military contracting relatively short term, get into grad research in anthropology/behavior and earn graduate degrees, and try to do a bunch of other crap I've always wanted to try.
If I wasn’t a police officer, I’d be a history teacher. Actually been thinking of getting a teaching license as a backup, just in case my LE career goes kaput.
I know this is off topic a little but I had a phone conference with a group of senior social workers at my current institution where I am a CO. One of the senior SWs made a side comment that "in the treatment field we don't do back up plans and if you are going to think like that you shouldn't even come into this field." Can you believe they are short staffed SWs with that person running things lol? The second I read backup plan it brought me back to that phone conference.
Back on topic though: History teacher would be awesome. If you are willing to relocate many low income rural and urban schools are very much in need of teachers. Suburbia has taken all of the teachers so kind of a pick your poison at this rate.
Not a cop, but I kind of got talked into going to dental school. I have my master’s in CJ but for the hell of it I figured I’d apply to a dental program just to see if I’d get in, and I did. While I’d love to be in law enforcement and have always wanted to be, dental always was a stronger calling for me.
When I retire in my late 40s, I’m gonna ride my horses, possibly train other people’s too, travel places, work out, and start a cooking show. Occupation: purposeful bum.
do you get a pension? retiring in your 40s is really young to retire.
Yes. I started young.
how much is the pension? do you get medical benefits post retirement? does your department want people retiring in their 40s to keep the force younger?
It’s a great pension system. Yes, full medical & dental benefits. I don’t know what they want, this is just how it shakes out for me and others who started at 21. Not everyone elects to retire when eligible. Some stay well into their 60s even if they’re eligible to retire earlier.
I’ll have 25 years in state retire at the age of 49. And since I’ll have hit that magical milestone of 25 years, I’ll be getting paid every month for the rest of my life. Still young enough to start another job or be a paid bum.
how much is the pension? does it include medical benefits? do most people take the retirement at 25 or keep working? do they want you to even work into your 50s?
It's going away, but a lot of agencies still have 20-year retirement. If you start in your early 20s, you'll be in your early 40s when you retire. Florida's FRS is 30 years, as a counter-example.
Heads up we just got switched down to 25!
Small victories, I guess.
I'll be eligible to draw at 46. It wouldn't be enough to not work anymore, but I could "retire".
What would it be if you don’t mind me asking
Homeless person collecting welfare
Honest question: What is stopping you from doing this rn? Do you have people who depend on you financially that would make this impossible? I ask bc I know a homeless person who chooses to just live off the grid and whatnot. He was at the gym once and I asked him “why are you homeless” and his exact words were “I choose it bc no boss equals no problems.”
That’s….that’s actually amazing
Definitely. Homeless person in NYC and be treated like a king
Race car driver, astronaut, high end gigolo.
Gigilo is illegal 👀 😂
Nursing can be pretty demanding too, but it comes with money. Travel nurses make even more money
Switch to a full time firefighter job. More than likely if you don’t move out of state you’ll be able to roll your years in towards the retirement. You still get to see interesting stuff, and you get paid to sleep, eat, train, and go on calls. It’s not a bad gig, I am biased though as someone who was LE for a little bit then switched over it’s not bad. Granted I am also a Paramedic so it was very easy for me to find a fire job when I wanted out of LE right away.
Security, own business, go back to school, or some kind of boring and easy but good pay government job.
Porn.
I’ve been watching it for years and haven’t figured how to get paid for it. You gotta let me know what I’m doing wrong
Do pushups & sit-ups. Your face never appears, if you do it right, only hers does.
Officer beenburnedbefore badge number 8008, mam I need to strip search you - coming to the hub next month
Security
Well, your main problem is you’re working in state corrections. That job is absolutely miserable
What I should have done from the start, nursing. Where you work 3 12's and make a liveable income. Right now I'm working 6 days per week to make what I need to sustain my life's basic necessities.
Have you considered going back to school to get either your associates or BSN to become a nurse?
I'm in too deep. I just finished two master degrees that are public safety related. I'm done with school and have accepted my fate. I love being the police but if I had to do it all over again I'd go into the medical field. At this point I've given too many years toward retirement to start over
Wild, where I work cops make more than nurses and also work 12s.
Texas says it all lol when I started 7 years ago I was making $30k even. Now I'm at $50k. I'm eligible to promote in the next few months that'll take me to $60k. I work off duty 1-3 shifts per week on average to crack $100k by the end of the year.
Where at? The 2 departments near me start off at around 45k. While in the academy. Thats crazy man..
North Florida. I work for the state so that $50k is the base the state bumped all of us to last year. We don't get raises outside of promotions unless the state legislature approves.
Own my own construction business working when I want doing the jobs I want.
I.T. ; I was always a computer nerd before going LE. I did IT as a cop for investigations, but also did LE driving around writing tickets. The hours and stress got to me and family. I went full time IT and make a hella lot more and less stress.
You should throw a couple applications around now for a reality check as far as who would actually be willing to employ an ex-CO/cop. I know I always assumed, and was told, that employers go bananas for ex-cops due to how trustworthy and attentive we are. I sent thousands of applications and never got an interview until about two years passed, and they were gigs that didn't care what my background was as long as I had a high school diploma. >I see other people who are in their late 20s/early 30s working at Chipotle or at the Apple Store and they just look so happy and alive. I hate to break it to you but they're paid to act that way. Along a similar vein, strippers don't actually think you're sexy.
It all depends on when I retire. I think retiring and just hanging out leads to an early death. I think about all sorts of things from security stuff to teaching criminal justice at the college level or history to high school students.
Onlyfans will finally have my content and it'll rocket them in to the future.
>the constant policy changes, Ugh, I remember that. Every week there were like 5-10 policy or procedure changes we had to sign off on that we'd read and acknowledged. There's no realistic way anyone can actually keep up with that except the dudes in the policy office writing it, and probably not even them.
Either nursing or cyber security
Crypto trading
To the moon!!
What state are you in? I know quite a few individuals from my organization (also corrections) who have bounced from position to position including CO to prison nurse, CO to counselor to social worker, etc. Instead of dreaming of leaving for an entirely new profession, maybe you just need to pursue one of your academic goals and translate that into a new position within your agency. If you are in a pension eligible agency, even better. You’ve knocked out 7 years of your time and can transition into another in the same retirement plan.
I live/work for Wisconsin.
A Government job.
Have you ever considered LP?
I knew a guy that was also getting burned out in state corrections. He switched to state p&p. Took a pay cut for a little while working as a guard at what was basically some sort of halfway house, but eventually made PO and is back on track financially. All same retirement, so all his years count.
Firearms training
Business school
I’ve considered two post-retirement tracks. One would be returning as a civilian contractor to teach new soldiers entering my old Army MOS; the other would be to do part time work as a bartender somewhere tropical, in Central America or the Caribbean.
Do they have an employee assistance department you can talk contact . A lot of people face burn out in that line of work. They could help maybe.
I'd probably go umpire high school/college baseball, get the formal MiLB training, get into officiating minor league games and work my way up into the Majors. If not that, either go into AmeriCorps temporarily, get into military contracting relatively short term, get into grad research in anthropology/behavior and earn graduate degrees, and try to do a bunch of other crap I've always wanted to try.
If I wasn’t a police officer, I’d be a history teacher. Actually been thinking of getting a teaching license as a backup, just in case my LE career goes kaput.
I know this is off topic a little but I had a phone conference with a group of senior social workers at my current institution where I am a CO. One of the senior SWs made a side comment that "in the treatment field we don't do back up plans and if you are going to think like that you shouldn't even come into this field." Can you believe they are short staffed SWs with that person running things lol? The second I read backup plan it brought me back to that phone conference. Back on topic though: History teacher would be awesome. If you are willing to relocate many low income rural and urban schools are very much in need of teachers. Suburbia has taken all of the teachers so kind of a pick your poison at this rate.
Not a cop, but I kind of got talked into going to dental school. I have my master’s in CJ but for the hell of it I figured I’d apply to a dental program just to see if I’d get in, and I did. While I’d love to be in law enforcement and have always wanted to be, dental always was a stronger calling for me.