The Second Half of a Cops Working Life.

The defined benefit pension that most Law Enforcement Professionals enjoy is a two edged sword.  The positive side has it attracting higher caliber individuals that understand that the offset of the lower pay and limited promotional opportunities is a guarantee of a set payment at retirement that adds a huge net value to your personal wealth upon retirement that is independent of economic up/down turns and is free of most fees and taxes.  The negative is that once the maximum benefit package/requirement are reached (most by 30 years of service and 50 + years of age) continued employment in Law Enforcement accomplishes little financial gain.

So anyone in Law Enforcement has to consider, plan and execute a second twenty career before they can truely retire.  The following is a quick list, in no particular order, of some of the second careers my fellow Officers have chosen.

1.  Dennis Farina-Chicago Police Officer-Actor (Law and Order, Midnight Run, Snatch)

2.  Charles Fredrick "Chuck" Adamson-Producer/Writer (Created Crime Story, the movie Heat was based on one of his cases)

3.  James Byron Huggins-Huntsville Police Department-Author, Christian Activist

4.  Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett-sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico-Customs Agent, Saloon owner.

5.  William Potts-Detroit Police Department-Inventor (Traffic Light (3 way))

6.   Patrick G. Ryan Jr.-Chicago PD-CEO at First Look

7.  Robbie Roberson-Inventor of the SOG SEAL Revolver knife

8.  Phil Queller-World Record Holder-Most Holes of Golf in a 12 hour period.

9.  Bryan Hammond-UK Police Officer-Painter (Not the wall kind)

10. Daniel Rodríguez-NYPD-Opera Singer

11. Bernard Ching-HPD-Actor (Hawii Five-O)

12. Theodore Roosevelt-NY Police Commissioner-President

13. Riding in the Squad with Christ Blogger-Law Officer-Zombie Killer

Ecclesiastes 3:22
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Mentors-Bill Powers

I was cleaning out some of my basement and came across the obituary of one of my Law Enforcement mentors.

I came into this field honestly, IE, I was not a friend of the program either through family, interest or drive.  Rather, it first came across my perceptions while I was taking paramedic courses in college in Texas.  I realized during my hundreds of hours of on the road clinical time that the police can be proactive and paramedic/firemen can only be reactive.  The idea of preventing calamity rather than reacting to it was very appealing.  A few years later I found myself in the Police academy.

Fast forward nine years and I found myself in a professional crisis, due to a mixture of my mistakes and a management change that soon found me deselected from the fast track and placed me on the no track.  It was looking that I was going to be having a "meeting" once every eight working days on patrol for the rest of my career.  I began fishing around to advance myself outside of work.  I first did what everyone does in a crisis/test/trial I went back to God.  I started leading a small group at my church and set it for Tuesdays at 10:30am so that anyone who was a second shifter could have a Bible study.  It was a disastrous.  Just in case you are thinking of using that time, while there are a number of people who work afternoons and midnights that need bible study, there are also a number of people that are free during that time mainly due to complete insanity.  Anyway one day a Chicago Cop named Mike Touhy came in and had a prayer request for an old partner of his who had just been diagnosed with cancer, Bill Powers.  I soon called him, enrolled in the Master program he created and got to know him and learned of his love of the Lord.  I was amazed his career path was incredibly similar as mine and he managed to become deputy superintendent (my hopes are not half that high).  He provided me with some advice and things immediately got better back at the home department.  Because of his mentoring I was able to right a nearly sunken ship and I because a believer in the idea that everyone needs a Christian mentor.

A quick anecdote as to the kind of man he was.  My wife and I came to his home during his home hospice on the second to last day that he was on this earth.  When we arrived he was a sleep on the couch.  My wife and I were sitting across from him when he woke up.  He looked up and said, "(my name) how are things?  How is school going?  How are things back at the department, any better?"  I said, "How am I doing!?! I think the only thing that matters today is how your doing!"  He looked up at me, sighed and said, "I know how I am but I want to know how you are."  He then made me answer his questions.  That was the man that he was and a man that I have tried to emulate as I have moved forward in my life.  Below is his obituary.

 
Link to Mike Touhy's truck stop ministry:
Transport for Christ




and a quick article about it

Chicago Police FOP Rosanna Pulido 2009

I have made a point of staying apolitical but for one post I will rescind my policy.

I hosted Rosanna Pulido, the Republican candidate for the Illinois 5th congressional seat at my home for a meet and greet. She stayed for four hours. I can say with certainty that she is pro law enforcement...she was even a dispatcher for Northfield Police Department. I was impressed with her dedication, intelligence and well thought out positions.

The Chicago Police Department FOP members had a rally on April 2, 2009 around City Hall. These Officers have been without a contract since 2007 and yet the Mayor's office and the city alderman seem to have no problem finding pay increases for their positions and the positions of their subordinates. Rosanna was there and marching with the Officers. The democratic candidate was no where to be found. This was noticed...

Rosanna Pulido, Republican candidate for the 5th Congressional District. What a kick in the teeth it would be for a Republican to win Rahm Emmanuel's old seat. We don't care if she's not your typical candidate. She was there. Quigley wasn't. What does that tell you? That is from Second City Cop Blog http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com

If the FOP really wants to send a message. Back Rosanna and get her elected to the 5th...this is a very heavy CPD area. The democratic party is so sure of the FOP/police vote they have become contemptuous. Why would they help if they are guaranteed the vote.

If Rosanna is elected not only would a pro-police politician be in office but she would be beholden to FOP and intervene on their behalf. Do you really believe that Quigley would take on Daley?
They need to vote for their own best interest and not to keep their piece of the Chicago dum-o-cratic machine.

Rosanna's links

http://www.rosannapulido2009.com

http://www.wbbm780.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=3594532