So fellow law man and women, what is the retirement looking like in this field? Is it kinda good, kinda bad, great,etc. ?????????

You have the cart before the horse. Just have fun on the job, you will retire soon enough and than you will get the message.

I can tell ya that I am 3 years into retirement from being a topped out Sergeant in a police department and  ... life is good.

You just have to have the stones to last all those years to draw on a bulletproof retirement.

It's one of societies best kept secrets: A public safety retirement pension.

In California they are demonizing Public Safety retirements and trying to cut them back, I know in my department we now have a two tier system. Anyone hired after 2010 has to work longer and will never get to the retirement rate of those who were hired prior to 2010

Retirement is relative....to where you work and your state. In OK Sheriff's Deputies are not classified as civil servants and therefore not on state police pension. There is a system they can be on that is similar but the county has to be a part of it, (Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement) My county is not part of that system, we are set up on a system that resembles a 401-K....and it sucks.

I have been point eligible for 2 years and cannot retire because there isn't enough money. On this system I have 2 choices; 1) work here until I die or 2) retire and start a new career where I can work until I die.

Check the agency you are interested in and see what type of system they are on. Some are great, others are like mine. My $.02

I have to bump BigNTs on this one.  Retirement is good but you had better put something away as well.

HDSB191 says ...

TheSarge says ...

I can tell ya that I am 3 years into retirement from being a topped out Sergeant in a police department and  ... life is good.

You just have to have the stones to last all those years to draw on a bulletproof retirement.

It's one of societies best kept secrets: A public safety retirement pension.

Yes Public Safety Retirement is a well kept secret.  That said the systems are now under attack from the politician.  They are avoiding other issues such as their misuse of public funds for personel gains.  (trips, expence accounts, political gifts ect.)  By redirecting the attentation to public employee retirement they make it look like they are answering to the people.

Problem is that the changes are for new employees only.  The rest of the now employeed and retired  employees are vested, and protected by case law.  So all they are doing is changing things for the future ,not for the present.  This will save no money for over twenty years.  But it can redirect the media away from political corruption and misuse of public funds.

Politicians are sons, and daughters of politicians and have never had a real job that required any real work.  Kind of like people on welfare, feeding on the rest of us. 

One reporters opinion 

Not counting my chickens before they hatch.  If all goes well I shall have my military pension as an officer and then in my area we have a Police a Fire program (KP&F)  that is better than the standard state program (KPERS), so lord willing and ex-wife can pass I will have that pension to draw on and of course SS.

As was said earlier be sure a set yourself up in a program that you can protect yourself with and your future.  If you start on the day you start drawing your pay, an alotted amount to put into a fund, then when you finish with your years of service you may be sitting a lil bit more comfortable.  If you opt to enlist in the Guard or Reserve you must stay for at least 20 years and then you have to wait until your 60 (currently) to collect. the retirement at the rank you achieve upon retirement eligibility.

Take care of yourself because no one else will and good luck.  Get your education and then get the job first, then plan for retirement...