LEO Retirement Question 1

February 12, 2020, 05:31 AM

I’ve heard the “Cops die early” thing forever, but I read a study a while back that completely debunked that compared to other professions or society in general.

Here’s one article about it:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/w...33-5422-D8D68689BCB0

quote:
We had on hand actuarial reports for police and fire and other groups of public employees for Ohio, Nevada, South Carolina, New York, California, and the District of Columbia and for Dallas police and fire. All of these plans use a version of the RP 2000 mortality tables created by the Society of Actuaries. The plans differ slightly in how they adjust these rates for males and females and for different types of employees. We used the mortality assumptions given in the actuarial reports to construct life expectancies for different employee groups.

The results show very little difference at age 60 in the life expectancy of police and fire as compared with other public employees. The average life expectancy at age 60 for police and firefighters was 24 years for men and 26 years for women. For non-police and fire, the comparable figures were 25 years for men and 27 years for women – just one year longer! And the pattern was quite consistent across states and localities

Another, much older source:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/pr/109485.pdf

February 12, 2020, 12:47 PM

CPD SIG

quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
If not, there's always stripping.

Klusk, you might want to look into this!

I think you might be able to make some serious coin!

February 12, 2020, 07:12 PM

Klusk2

quote:
Originally posted by CPD SIG:
quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
If not, there's always stripping.

Klusk, you might want to look into this!

I think you might be able to make some serious coin!

If it pays well, I'm in.

February 13, 2020, 07:00 AM

Bulldog7972

quote:
Originally posted by chongosuerte:
I’ve heard the “Cops die early” thing forever, but I read a study a while back that completely debunked that compared to other professions or society in general.

Here’s one article about it:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/w...33-5422-D8D68689BCB0

quote:
We had on hand actuarial reports for police and fire and other groups of public employees for Ohio, Nevada, South Carolina, New York, California, and the District of Columbia and for Dallas police and fire. All of these plans use a version of the RP 2000 mortality tables created by the Society of Actuaries. The plans differ slightly in how they adjust these rates for males and females and for different types of employees. We used the mortality assumptions given in the actuarial reports to construct life expectancies for different employee groups.

The results show very little difference at age 60 in the life expectancy of police and fire as compared with other public employees. The average life expectancy at age 60 for police and firefighters was 24 years for men and 26 years for women. For non-police and fire, the comparable figures were 25 years for men and 27 years for women – just one year longer! And the pattern was quite consistent across states and localities

Another, much older source:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/pr/109485.pdf

A friend of mine tracks Chicago coppers who die. Every single day I receive an email informing me of the death of at least one Chicago cop that passed away. They are all in their early to late sixties.

February 13, 2020, 08:00 AM

Klusk2

quote:
Originally posted by chongosuerte:
I’ve heard the “Cops die early” thing forever, but I read a study a while back that completely debunked that compared to other professions or society in general.

Here’s one article about it:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/w...33-5422-D8D68689BCB0

quote:
We had on hand actuarial reports for police and fire and other groups of public employees for Ohio, Nevada, South Carolina, New York, California, and the District of Columbia and for Dallas police and fire. All of these plans use a version of the RP 2000 mortality tables created by the Society of Actuaries. The plans differ slightly in how they adjust these rates for males and females and for different types of employees. We used the mortality assumptions given in the actuarial reports to construct life expectancies for different employee groups.

The results show very little difference at age 60 in the life expectancy of police and fire as compared with other public employees. The average life expectancy at age 60 for police and firefighters was 24 years for men and 26 years for women. For non-police and fire, the comparable figures were 25 years for men and 27 years for women – just one year longer! And the pattern was quite consistent across states and localities

Another, much older source:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/pr/109485.pdf

Interesting data, but I wonder what that data would show for major cities like Chicago, New York, Baltimore, etc. The amount of stress will no doubt be higher in areas where crime is much higher. I for one, would love to see a more in-depth analysis of this. I will say that I have been to far too many funerals of recent retirees in the last few years and that concerns me. The good news is that the current crop of newer officers tend take better care of themselves with better dieting, exercising and being able to reach out talk to someone without being ostracized from their peers. I can only hope that I get out as many years of retirement as I have put in.

February 13, 2020, 08:33 AM

chongosuerte

I've seen more early deaths due to suicide than anything else.

I'm sure the data is out there for the large departments. But I don't think it is any different. I think the "die within 5 years of retirement" is an old wives tale that we've told over and over until it's become "everybody knows that", like the second link from 1987 says.

Thing is, places would not be in pension trouble if all the cops died early. My agency is the largest in NC, with plenty of crime. Our retirees aren't falling over dead en mass at 55. Or 60. Or 65.

February 13, 2020, 08:37 AM

RogueJSK

If we're talking cops who waited until mandatory retirement at 65, then I could totally see an average post-retirement lifespan of 5-7 years in those cases.

However, with cops at many agencies able to retire in their mid/late 40s or early 50s (starting early 20s and then going 25-28ish years), then 5-7 years doesn't seem to hold water.

February 13, 2020, 02:02 PM

9mmepiphany

quote:
Originally posted by chongosuerte:
I've seen more early deaths due to suicide than anything else.

I'm sure the data is out there for the large departments. But I don't think it is any different. I think the "die within 5 years of retirement" is an old wives tale that we've told over and over until it's become "everybody knows that", like the second link from 1987 says.

While your observations don't differ much from mine, I will add that the "wisdom" I quoted was from folks who do investment planning to fund retirements. Like insurance companies, they've been collecting data for decades if not centuries.

Modern health trends would have to be extended to make much of a dent in their stats.

It makes them a bit slow to respond to changing trends, but it isn't a short term view