Editorial introduction
In this post from John Cooley, the question of what a department owes its retired officers is examined with the kind of candor that only comes from experience. He walks through the range of decisions agencies face when a retiree dies—from full honors to a modified ceremony to no ceremony at all—and explains why those decisions must be made before tragedy forces the issue. It is blunt, experience-based counsel for any chief or sheriff who would rather have a protocol in place than improvise under pressure.
As a funeral coordinator and instructor, I have received inquiries through my website and fielded questions at seminars about providing honors ceremonies for retirees. The question I always ask in return is this: did the officer retire honorably? I advocate that when an officer retires honorably, they should receive the same honors ceremony that an active officer would receive. I do not think a retired officer should receive something lesser simply because they are retired.
For most agencies, when an active officer dies, the agency provides a traditional honors ceremony that includes the flag fold, Taps, and a rifle salute. When a retiree dies, however, the ceremonies provided often range from nothing to a modified version that includes only the flag fold, or the flag fold and Taps. Some agencies believe the retiree deserves something less than an active officer and provide a modified version. Others—typically large agencies—say they don't have the honor guard resources to provide full honors for every retiree given the number of services held locally.
Some evaluate the potential audience size. Retirees who left the job so long ago that no one currently on the agency knew them may receive less recognition than someone who retired recently and is well remembered. Regardless of how many retirees die annually, how long ago they retired, or how widely known they were, the decision about what honors to provide rests with the chief or sheriff.
Obviously, logistical resources and honor guard availability influence what can be provided. There is a meaningful difference between not being able to provide full honors and choosing not to. Agencies should have a protocol that establishes the criteria and standards for retiree funerals—one that is equitable for all retirees, regardless of when they left the job. Funerals are for the living. They provide significance and meaning to the deceased person's life and career. An honors ceremony offers special recognition of a retiree's service and dedication to public service—something the surviving family is proud of and would appreciate having acknowledged.
But what about the retiree who retires "in lieu of"? This type of retirement occurs when an active officer facing criminal allegations—which, if they resulted in conviction, would likely lead to termination—chooses to retire before that disciplinary process is completed. Criminal trials typically occur after the officer has retired, and the agency is no longer directly involved.
So: an officer facing likely termination retires instead. Did they retire honorably? No. Some criminal allegations don't speak to the officer's integrity—a misdemeanor drunk-driving offense, for example. Others, such as theft or fraud, go directly to the officer's trustworthiness. Active officers convicted of drunk driving are seldom terminated for that offense alone. Officers convicted of theft or fraud, however, cannot remain on the job.
When a chief or sheriff is confronted with the death of a retiree who retired "in lieu of," a difficult decision must be made. In some cases, only the chief or sheriff is privy to the full details. Remember: funerals are for the living, and the surviving family should not be punished for the officer's transgressions. But the chief or sheriff must be careful not to establish a precedent that tarnishes the dignity of past or future honors ceremonies.
A modified honors ceremony can still be meaningful, dignified, and respectful. A pre-folded flag can be presented, but the traditional ceremony need not be performed. Officers can attend in uniform and render a hand salute at appropriate moments. A police chaplain can officiate. Bagpipes can be played. But the decision of what will be provided—if anything—rests with the chief or sheriff.
Any decision will likely be questioned by some and disagreed with by others. But the integrity of the agency and the solemnity of the honors tradition are paramount. The term "honors" carries the weight of every ceremony that has been held before, and every one that will be held in the future. Funerals are for the living—but not at the expense of the reputation of those buried in the past, or those who will be buried in the future.
Every officer takes an oath to uphold the law, protect the Constitution, and adhere to the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. That oath extends into retirement. Those who violate that trust must accept the consequences.
When an active or honorably retired officer dies having been involved in serious criminal activity—typically, though not always, a felony—there should be no honors ceremony of any kind.
By John Cooley | Policefunerals.com