Daily life as a police officer has definite rhythms. Officers can spend significant amounts of time in their patrol car clocking drivers’ speeds. When they make an arrest, there’s the ritual of transporting the detainee to the station and then processing paperwork at their desk. If necessary, the arresting officer testifies in court regarding the incident. When they’re investigating a crime, they follow this pattern: follow up on existing leads, build evidence, acquire more leads in the process, and make an arrest if there is due cause.
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Crystal Flame Employee of the Year Award PlaqueEven as police officers encounter unpredictable persons, they have routine protocols. They communicate first in specific ways. Then, should the situation escalate, they warn the individual against taking sudden action and direct them to a safe position. They are constantly assessing for dangers, reading a person’s body language, and observing whether they possess arms.
Though several of these rhythms are stressful, these and less dangerous daily activities form the fabric of their shifts. The patterns of police life are familiar and dependable even as suspects and situations change. As they look to give in their badge and retire, leaving these patterns in the past is hard to stomach for many policemen and policewomen. No matter your relation to a retiree, here are some ways to make a police retirement memorable.
Precinct Peers
If you work with a retiring officer, you have a direct role in their transition. You are part of their associations with policing, so work hard to give them solid closure.
Organize a Work Party
While parties are hard with COVID-19 continuing to spread, some kind of collective event does a retiree a lot of good. A physically distanced outdoor event may fit the bill or a video call is also an option.
An in-person celebration gives the retiree the comforting presence of everyone they work with. Put in time to serve food, set up decorations, and more to show they are worth the effort. More important yet are the conversations they have with coworkers as everyone gets together. Retelling old stories and receiving others’ praise doesn’t allow a second of doubt about whether their time on the force made a difference.
Give Cards and Gifts
At said party or at another time, give the retiring police officer a commemorative gift and thoughtful card. A service-themed gift, such as precinct apparel, serves as an enduring reminder of their career and the people who joined them on the line of duty. To completely surprise and touch their heart, go for custom-made shirts that celebrate them specifically.
Meanwhile, your card also serves as an enduring reminder. Make it worth returning to by writing about your favorite shared memories and writing with your own tone to help them remember you.
Keep in Touch
After they leave, don’t let your gift and card be the only reminders of your existence. Another way to make a police retirement memorable is to keep in touch. While you may not miss police life because you’re still in the thick of it, your retired friend likely does.
To the degree that you can, give them little updates on changes around the precinct. They’ll feel much better knowing they have some kind of line into what’s going on. Simply maintaining your friendship eases them away from police life rather than completely shutting them out from a policing bubble they spent years living in.
Supervisor
As the retiree’s supervisor for any sustained amount of time, you have a wider view of their character and work than anyone else on the force.
Tell the Story of Their Service
Given your oversight, you can create a story articulating the totality of their service. Walk through the various challenges they faced—perhaps even precinct-wide problems in different eras—and note how they rose above and seized them. Retelling their story, whether through a speech or other medium, lets them know their work made people notice.
Recognize Their Accomplishments
Telling their story is not complete without making a big deal out of the high points. While speaking your praise is nice, going further and giving them a finely crafted retirement plaque makes an impression. Crafted from beautiful crystal, this gift will have a home as their most prized display piece for years, reminding them of the best parts of their job.
Close Family & Friends
Family and friends have the most important roles in supporting the retiring police officer in their life. From the retirement party to their ongoing processing through this huge change, trusted family and friends come alongside to make this transition a smooth one.
Throw a Party
In the beginning, give them a big party that shows, even though they left every day to serve without you physically there, you saw the value of their work. While a work party is good, external recognition from the people they love most makes a bigger impact. If you want to postpone a big gathering, still put together a substitutionary celebration to mark this turning point. No matter which way you do it, don’t forget to thank them for their long and stressful work. You did, after all, see the physical, emotional, and psychological toll policing took on them.
Give Memorable Gifts
As you consider your gift options, go for a big gesture. A retirement plaque from loved ones is meaningful because you can include whatever quotes or messages you want. If you prefer giving an experience, consider their bucket list. Though worldwide travel isn’t exactly viable with a pandemic, promising them a life-changing trip when it’s possible again is an option. Looking forward to future fun gives retirees something to fill the void of leaving the force and serves as a good jumping-off point.
Encourage New Opportunities
As your loved one settles into retirement, they may need your help to transition from the rhythms of police work to their new routines. If they want to stay productive or need a form of income, steer them in the direction of a job they would love. For instance, going into dog grooming could be a job they never entertained but would be a good change of pace. If your network can help them, don’t hesitate to use it.
If they are ready to stop working, your retiree may need help finding fulfilling hobbies. The tough part about police work is that it occupies so much of your life. When officers retire, they often don’t have developed, time-consuming interests. Recognize this potential problem and help them expand their horizons. Those with an enduring heart for community service can opt to volunteer their time to a charity they love.
Talk Through the Change
As your loved one grapples with the realities of civilian life, you are an important resource. Open yourself up to conversations about their transition—if they don’t bring it up, broach the topic yourself if there’s a reasonable opportunity. Talk through what they miss and how life is different. This is a legitimate grieving process, and you can help them make sense of their feelings.
In the event you can’t credibly address their struggles, connect them with people who can. Look for a community of retired officers who can lend their similar experiences to a retiree’s processing.
