This June 22 article “Looking for a few good recruits: Long understaffed, Vancouver Police Department works to replace retiring officers” included a small highlighted portion regarding the average age of current Vancouver police officers and their retirement benefit. The sworn officers currently working at Vancouver Police Department are enrolled in the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters retirement plan 2, which is a statewide plan. I am a retired LEOFF 2 member.
One fact that was not addressed in the article and is a significant concern for prospective retirees is that when a member of the LEOFF 2 retirement plan does retire, they no longer have medical or dental insurance. If the retiree wants medical and dental coverage, they must pay for it out of their own pocket, which can be quite costly, especially with a family. I think this causes some officers to work longer than they would like. I also believe that many members of the public are unaware of this fact.
Gary C. Spaulding
Battle Ground
