One Year On
It dawned on me recently that I’ve reached another milestone in my career; one year as a civvy – or should that be support staff?
So that’s also one year of retirement from the police.
One year on how have things changed?
Well, I don’t try to enter my old police warrant number onto the force computer systems anywhere as much as I used to. I still do it from time to time but I’m now more or less used to my new identity.
I frequent the occasional police forums & can’t get out of the habit of saying ‘we’ when referring to police officers.
The job hasn’t changed; I’m basically doing exactly what I did when I was a police officer. There’s no real difference now that I’m a civvy except that I don’t have to do personal protection training’ or baton-twirling as its sometimes known.
Despite what you might glean from reading this blog, I still actually enjoy the work I do. I think I make a genuine difference, its just all the shite – largely unnecessary – that pisses me off.
My standard of living has gone up massively. It’s almost like going from a single-wage family to a dual-wage family like we were before the kids came along. It’s happily coincided with my youngest going to senior school & my wife being able to earn a little money a few mornings a week also, though the recent letter from the tax man saying I was being taxed at 40% on my pension wasn’t quite so welcome.
All in all, one year after retirement, life is good at Weeks Towers.
MPS Probie says:
Glad it’s working out well for you – I despair of ever being able to retire!
Not only do people of my service have to work 5 years longer than you, we get a worse pension and lump sum too. I console myself with the thought that Western civilisation is unlikely to survive another 33 years, so I’m unlikely to be in a position to care about my pension pot!
March 21st, 2010 at 23:58
Oi says:
I believe I said it here a year ago, but just in case – Welcome to our world.
I didnt stay on – too burned out, but have a small secondary job that keeps me in petrol for the little dinghy it also paid for, and The Handbrake works full time. Life is good!
March 22nd, 2010 at 04:17
boy on a bike says:
And you bloody well deserve it, so enjoy it.
March 22nd, 2010 at 09:55
Fee says:
I don’t grudge you a penny of it, mate. Unlike those bone-idle, greedy barstewards who’ll be leaving Westminster at the election with a cushy pension paid for by the same mugs they’ve been ripping off for years.
March 22nd, 2010 at 13:21
Tony F says:
Congratulations!
March 22nd, 2010 at 18:14
Blueknight says:
I have been out 5 years but I still sometimes have a panicky dream where I have been called in for Mutual Aid and I have to beg borrow and steal all the bits of uniform I handed back when I left.
March 22nd, 2010 at 20:42
shijuro says:
no bullshit- given my knowledge of the job, the way we are perceived, how we are treated, what strains are placed on your life (marriage/kids/body)…
I have 100% respect for ANYONE that does a full stretch- Especially when they do most on a 24/7 shift.
I have had a charmed life in the job- so far… 15-years of shifts and 5- years as a DC…
Well done- really.
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:21