We Hire You to Retire You: Rethinking Longevity in Policing

On the way to teach a Police Resiliency Class in Missouri, a semi-truck passed me with a decal that read: “We Hire You to Retire You.” That phrase stuck with me. A trucking company was declaring something many police departments struggle with; creating a culture of resilience and longevity.

When I first became a police officer, I knew I had found my career. I wanted to spend my adult life in this profession and could not imagine doing anything else. At the time, I did not think about the toll on my body, my mind, or my health. I was simply proud to have found my calling. There is a certain peace in knowing what you want to do with your life at such a young age.

Later, I noticed a shift. New officers often told me they only planned to stay for a few years before moving on. At first that idea felt foreign, but it did not mean they were not committed or effective. It did, however, create challenges for departments trying to retain talent and recoup their investment in training.

Which raises the question: Why are police departments not building a culture where people want to stay long enough to retire?

• In my experience, several factors drive this culture shift around longevity in policing: Constant exposure to negative news and social media has devalued the career.

• Awareness of trauma’s impact has grown, but the profession still takes a heavy toll on long-term health.

• Since COVID, many workers expect remote options, something policing can never offer.

  
  

These are only a few of the challenges. But if a trucking company can boldly claim to hire people with the intention of seeing them through to retirement, why can’t police departments?

How can police departments combat this alarming trend in policing?

• Invest in family support with resources and workshops for spouses and children who also feel the weight of the job.

• Modernize scheduling and time-off policies with more flexible shifts and truly usable vacation time. Poor staffing creates situations where officers are unable to take time off, increasing burn out.

• Recognize and celebrate service milestones and achievements throughout a career, not just at retirement.

  
  

A study published in Police Quarterly titled An Empirical Examination of Retired Police Officers’ Length of Retirement and Age at Death found that Detroit police officers lived more than six years less and had retirements more than six years shorter than other city employees, even when accounting for retirement age, sex, and retirement type. While the exact reasons were unclear, the findings show how important it is to focus on health and wellness not only during a career but long after it ends.

The benefits in this culture change will not only help officers reach retirement, but increase their longevity beyond when they hang up their duty belt.

The future of policing depends not only on who we recruit, but on how we support them over the span of a career. These changes will also have a positive financial impact associated with the increase in officer retention. It is more expensive to train a new officer than it is to invest in the resilience of current officers.

Departments must ask themselves whether they are simply hiring officers or helping them thrive all the way to retirement.