In his 39 years serving the city of Dallas, David was injured twice, his lockermate was killed on duty by a burglary suspect and his partner was shot in the face with a shotgun.
He was one of the first officers who rolled up on the scene when two officers were shot trying to arrest an armed robber.
“We took one of the officers to the hospital in the back seat of my police car wondering if he would survive. His partner was killed at the scene,” David said.
Throughout the years, he worked a steady stream of extra duty jobs to provide for his family.
“Once upon reflection, I figured I had worked an average of 52 hours a week for my first 30 years on the department,” he said. “After hours and many vacation days were devoted to extra jobs instead of my home life and vacations. I thought I was helping my family get the things they wanted and deserved. But when you work extra hours, even when you’re home, you don't have the energy to properly participate in normal family activities.”
David believes the long hours, extra jobs and daily stress cost him his marriage.
“I know this would not have happened if I had chosen another profession,” he said.
After he served for 20 years, David said he decided to stay and take advantage of the DROP program that was offered by the city.
“Even though I had already earned a full 20 year retirement, by working an additional nine and a half years, I was told--and believed--my retirement years would be secured. I could have left the police department to work at another company, earning another retirement and a better salary. But the DROP option seemed to be the best at the time,” he said. “The charts and the numbers were there before you. We were told the pension was one of the very best in the country.”
So David remained and made his long term financial and retirement decisions based on income from his pension and the DROP program. He retired in August of 2009.
“Now the scary part,” he said. “My fears today concern me more than when I was working. When I was a young officer, I thought I was bulletproof and could handle myself in any situation. Today, I feel older, have no control and our future seems uncertain.”
If the pension is cut by a substantial amount or if any type of clawback is imposed that would garnish his pension check for interest already earned, David will be forced to sell his home.
“I receive no social security from working at the city. The pension and DROP are our retirement. Finding reasonable employment income at my age seems unlikely,” he said, noting that he is 67 years old, has a heart condition and suffers from neuropathy.
“We have obeyed every rule and direction we were given by the city of Dallas and the pension fund regarding our retirement,” David said. “We have done nothing to warrant this.”
#PoundOfFlesh #savethepension #backtheblue
2 comments:
When considering Officers like David, I don't know how Mayor Rawlings and many other City Council Members (like Lee Kleinman) can look in the mirror without feeling shame. The solutions proposed by the Mayor and advocated by his supporters will drive many Officers like Officer David into financial ruin. I am a 35-year retired veteran of the Dallas Police Department, and I will suffer the same fate as David. Citizens who hear the Mayor state his desire to save the Dallas Police and Fire Pension Fund should carefully consider his plans to accomplish this task. His methods are scorched Earth solutions for most retirees and remarkably unfair. Some solutions proposed by the City may in fact be in violation of the U S. Constitution and/or the Constitution of the State of Texas, so I'm sure they have a driving desire to acquire Sovereign Immunity. The Mayor and his supporters will resort to almost any means to accomplish their results. The citizens of Dallas should be very wary.
I am the widow of a Dallas Police Officer. He retired after 31 years. He suffered a heart attack during that time but returned to the job. Our family supported the Dept. even though concern for his safety and crazy shift changes were difficult. He worked extra jobs and I was employed. He never in all that time considered leaving DPD. His Pension was a blessing after the second heart attack. What a shame that retirees their families and surviving widows are left with concerns of their financial futures.
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