Do You Miss It?

[gabe a.]

This week marks the one-year anniversary of my permanent medical retirement from law enforcement. I thought I'd share a quick excerpt from my personal journal with the current LEO's and everybody else on here.

I decided to post this not to elicit sympathy, believe me that's the last thing I want. It was to remind us all why we do what we do, and not to take even a second of it for granted, because you never know when you might lose it all.

10.11.06
Do I miss it? It seems as though each time I explain how I came about being back in school after starting such a promising career in law enforcement, the aforementioned question arises. Law enforcement was stressful, difficult, arduous, and chaotic. Life and death decisions were required to be made in mere milliseconds, and that decision has to be of sound judgement, no matter the circumstances. The daily grind is that of people hoping you can save their day, sometimes even their life. The people encountered are rude, demanding, and very often the very epitome of society’s pernicious dark side. The sights seen are often sobering reminders of the malevolence that is man; child abuse, drunk driving fatalities, rape, and murder only start the list of everyday atrocities encountered. Average people shun us, yet no matter how fast the response to their emergency, we could never arrive on time. Professionalism is always mandatory no matter the strength of emotion coursing through your veins.

The special few who can do this job form an impenetrable bond, a bond formed with blood, sweat, and tears; a bond held together with pride, honor, integrity, and a feeling of actually making a difference here and now.

So… do I miss it? Damn right I do. I miss it everyday in everything I do and there is nothing I wouldn't give to have another day behind that shield standing in line with my brothers and sisters, fighting the seemingly endless, uphill battle so many officers have become so familiar with.

Keep your head up officers, your work is that of the utmost importance, and your rewards will be innuberable and unbounded! God bless!

[DetSgt.]

Yes I do miss it somewhat. I have been retired after 25 year's for 13 almost 14 year's now. But I am lucky, my Daughter is a LEO in N.J. and has been for the past 3 year's and call's me all the time and tell's me what she is involved in or ask's for guidence in what she is doing. So a lot of time's I still think that I am supervising the troop's and passing on the knowledge that I picked up with 25 year's on the job. It is even greater because it is my daughter.

[mcsap]

As I am at the 20 + yr mark in my career( have to go 25 ) , I wonder what it will be like to not be a cop anymore. I can leave in 4 yrs and 5 months if I WANT to but don't have to.

It will be tough giving up all of the bennies plus 30 days vac etc. One thing that I will not miss is having to deal with the underbelly of humanity. The filth and trash of humanity that we deal with on a regular basis. Anyone who begrudges a cop for being able to retire after 20 or 25 years simply has NO CLUE what we actually have to deal with.

Rock on Gabe !

[retdetsgt]

I'm grateful to have the memories and grateful that I've retained a lot of the friends I made over my career. I can't imagine having done anything else that long and have enjoyed it more.

That being said, I don't miss the command and having to put up with their foolishness and political infighting one bit. The only way I would consider going back would be if I were told that no one over the rank of Sgt would ever even speak to me or write anything that I have to read.

[BP348]

Well, I have 9 years in and have to do at least 23 years before I cane retire. So I still have a ways to go. But, since I have type 2 diabetes I have thought about the fact that I may not make it to 23+ years. That’s also the reason I’m working so hard to earn my masters degree, for the just in case.

Sometimes I get really fed up with the B.S. but I think I'd miss it.

[Creeker]

...That being said, I don't miss the command and having to put up with their foolishness and political infighting one bit. The only way I would consider going back would be if I were told that no one over the rank of Sgt would ever even speak to me or write anything that I have to read.

I was going to add something pithy and appropriately insulting to "Bosses who forgot where they came from or where they should justifiably be" in this spot, but I took an extra Vicodin a little while ago as a direct result of my LOD Retirement, and believe it may possibly have accidentally resulted in a banning on my behalf... so here's this, then. :cool: