So, Sage, why do so many cops retire to Idaho? (Sandpoint: relocating, job)

[esselcue]

I work in law enforcement myself...plan to retire in January of 2009 and retire to Idaho. I have a nephew on the LAPD who will be retiring in about three years and he has retirement property that he bought in...wait for it...Idaho! Three personal friends from work have retired to Idaho in the past four years...I wonder what the draw is? I mean, for me it's the slower life, the scenery, the opportunity to be outdoors in splendor, and the great people there. It sort of feels like a great wave of law enforcement all rumbling north! Must be a great place for ex-cops!

[DESERTRYDER]

My guess is it's far away from the freaks they have had to deal with for the last 25 years.

[vegas_storms]

Originally Posted by DESERTRYDER

My guess is it's far away from the freaks they have had to deal with for the last 25 years.

Desert is certainly accurate with that guess, as my Dad just retired to CDA last April from the LAPD Air Support Division and a lot of his buddies were already up there and that "is" one of the many reasons. Most of the guys I know anyways would prefer to live in Sandpoint or even further out in the boonies except for the fact the CDA was the farthest away thier wives would allow them to be from a "big" city.

If you can finds out where any of the major metropoliton cities law enforcement are retiring to, you can pretty much count on it being a nice place to live as most of them just want to get away from all the cr@p they dealt with for many years. Plus, once one of them finds a nice place, it seems to open up the flood gates for the rest as word spreads among them very fast.

[brokencrayola]

Mark Furhman lives here.

[Sage of Sagle]

True to all the above. In fact, Mark Furhman has a place about a mile down the road from me...

This area is aptly nicknamed "LAPD North", long before even Furhman came. And there's a lot of LASO retirees as well (my department).

I think above and beyond the already-stated things, it's that this is SUCH a sportsman's paradise, fishing, boating, hiking, hunting, XC skiing in your own acreage, snowmobiling, etc. There's just so much to do. So compared to my grandpa who retired from a desk job to play bridge and died 3 years later, so many cops want to continue to be SO active when they retire (and I'm NOT saying we have the corner on it, by ANY means). But since we tend to work hard and play hard, when you retire up here, the "play hard" becomes a reality, 12 months a year.

I do think the other appeal is the general cultural homogeny (I get accused of racism often for this view, but I believe I have the same right to my views as anyone and it's NOT about race, in fact I think this area is extremely racially accepting). It's also about the idea that one should look out for their neighbors. I come home on occasion to find fresh watermelons INSIDE my front door. My dogs got out, and my neighbors put them back inside the garage. Our neighbors have an open "tool borrowing" policy, and nobody expects anyone to rip them off. So you're viewed as an outsider until you show yourself to be a good person, then you're trusted unless you somehow jack it up. Very much like law enforcement, huh?

And for those that age more and slow down, there's no better place in America to sit and watch the world go by....this area is a retirement mecca for those who like the cold...

[vegas_storms]

Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle

1.) I think above and beyond the already-stated things, it's that this is SUCH a sportsman's paradise, fishing, boating, hiking, hunting, XC skiing in your own acreage, snowmobiling, etc.

2.) I do think the other appeal is the general cultural homogeny.

#1 Totally agree with your additional points as almost every cop I've ever known(and that's a lot of cops) including my Dad was and still is into almost everything listed above in a big way.

#2 This is a very big factor, just didn't want to get pummeled on here for saying it. A lot of people just don't understand and think right off your a racist, but let me tell you that every cop I have ever known would have been first inline to kick the cr@p out of those Aryan morons and put their life on the line to help someone no matter what their race, without ever giving it a thought. There's a "huge" difference between cultural homogeny and racism(IMHO), I believe unless you've been a police officer(in a big city for the most part anyways and have dealt with the many things these guys have had to deal with on a daily basis), it's just too hard for some to take the time and try to understand the difference and many times much easier to just say the word racist and walk away.

[Asthedeer]

Originally Posted by esselcue

I work in law enforcement myself...plan to retire in January of 2009 and retire to Idaho. I have a nephew on the LAPD who will be retiring in about three years and he has retirement property that he bought in...wait for it...Idaho! Three personal friends from work have retired to Idaho in the past four years...I wonder what the draw is? I mean, for me it's the slower life, the scenery, the opportunity to be outdoors in splendor, and the great people there. It sort of feels like a great wave of law enforcement all rumbling north! Must be a great place for ex-cops!

I was trying to find the article but it was referring to there are more police officers in this area per-capita than in Seattle.
I don't know what the attraction would be other than what you listed, because the pay is'nt great from what I have seen offered in the newspaper. But if they are retiring here this is the place to be!

[esselcue]

Pretty much what I thought, actually. I have been with the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office for 19 years now...started in Detention, went to teaching and training and I do composite artwork, and the past couple of years I have been the PIO. I am female but I share exactly all the same feelings that were posted above. Being in AZ, the racial angle comes mainly from illegal immigrants and the unrest of the communities due to this problem, but it's not why I am leaving the area. I love the outdoors, I love cold weather, I love the scenery and "vastness" of Idaho and on my few trips there I fell in love with the friendly people. They didn't care about my AZ plates...ha! I will be relocating by myself and that is slightly scary in some ways, but I had no problem meeting people and making a life when I moved here 20+ years ago, so I am pretty sure I can do the same in Idaho.

[cleosmom]

On the other hand, why wouldn't they? Fresh air, low crime, fishing, hunting and plenty of outdoor sports

[Tlynn3]

I'm thinking about moving to Idaho myself, is it true that your bones hurt in the winter? What can I expect, and for a single female 3-ties-- where can I find a single retired cop lol