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For most officers, retirement is a finish line they measure in days and years, but few are ready for what happens when the radio goes silent and the badge comes off for good. And recently, that reality hit home nationwide when a Police1 article on police retirement went viral, striking a nerve with thousands of current and former officers.
In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with a retired deputy chief about the fear, isolation and loss of relevance many officers feel after they leave the job, and what agencies and officers can do now to make that transition healthier for cops and their families.
Jason Kates started his law enforcement career with the Oak Brook (Illinois) Police Department in 1992, rising through the ranks to sergeant, lieutenant and eventually deputy chief before retiring in 2021. A Marine Corps veteran, Kates now hosts “My Journey With the Badge,” a podcast and YouTube channel where he interviews retired officers about their careers, the trauma they carry and the challenges of life after policing.
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Tune in to hear
- Why “the quiet” after your last shift can hit harder than any critical incident
- How a surprise retirement phone call during COVID upended a deputy chief’s life in three weeks
- What happens when decades of cumulative trauma finally surface in the stillness of retirement
- Why families often see the first warning signs – and too many agencies turn retirees away from help
- How one retired deputy chief is using long-form storytelling to help cops heal and prepare for life after the badge
Key takeaways from this episode
Losing the badge changes everything. Officers spend decades defining themselves by the job, so retirement often triggers an unexpected loss of identity, purpose and relevance — even for those who thought they were ready.
The quiet hits harder than the calls. When the radio goes silent, cumulative trauma, old memories and unresolved stress rush in. Many officers don’t feel the impact until months or even years after their last shift.
Relationships matter more than rank. What retirees miss isn’t the projects or the paperwork — it’s the camaraderie, the daily problem-solving, the dark humor and the people who understood them without explanation.
Support disappears too quickly. Many agencies cut off EAP access, don’t track retiree wellness and rarely reach out. Families often spot warning signs first, but they’re left with few resources and little guidance.
A plan makes the transition healthier. Building purpose outside the badge, reconnecting with peers, joining retiree groups, contributing to training and finding law-enforcement-adjacent work all help officers navigate the quiet and find meaning again.
Police1 resources on preparing for retirement
- The silence after the badge: A sergeant’s blunt truth about retirement
- Trading a badge for a boat: Finding purpose after law enforcement
- When the badge comes off: A cop’s hardest transition
- Why your last day in uniform deserves a ceremony
- The wake-up call that changed a responder’s health post-retirement
- 27 keys to retire from police work ‘undefeated’
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