By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Great Bend Police Sergeant Gary Davis is 56 years old. He has served as a
police officer for 33 years, 30 of which in Great Bend, and he questions how
much longer he can keep performing a high-stress and sometimes
physically-demanding job. Davis noted studies that show police officers live to an average age of 57 due to, among other reasons, the hazards of the job and the stress on the mind and body.
"I have to be on high alert for the whole 12-hour shift," said Davis. "Sometimes when I respond to calls, things are just a little bit out of control. If I'm not alert and at the top of my game, a citizen or myself could get hurt. How would you like to go to work and be on edge the minute you walk in and until you go home?"
While Davis acknowledges he is too old to take advantage, he is a strong
supporter of the City of Great Bend switching their retirement plan for police
officers and firemen.
Davis stated if he retired today, the current Mission Square retirement plan through the city would provide him $1,000 per month for 20 years. The Kansas Police & Fire (KP&F) would come with a much larger payout until death.
The majority of the fire and police employees are pushing
for the KP&F plan because of the guaranteed pension plan, possible early
retirement at the age of 50 or 55 and its disability reassurance.
"A few months ago, me and another officer had to wrestle a large man," said Davis. "I got hurt out of it, and that was the first time in 33 years that I had a work compensation injury. If I was younger, I probably wouldn't have even had an injury. It just made me start thinking...56 years old...how much longer can I do it? When I was young, I never worried about that."
Great Bend voters passed a .20% sales tax increase last November to improve the
retirement plans for first responders. The KP&F plan in 2023 would require
the city to contribute 22.86% of each members’ gross wages into a retirement
plan. The employee is required to add 7.15% of their wages. Upon retirement, workers are paid monthly for his or her life based on KP&F's formula (years of service X 2.15% X final average salary).
Once enrolled in the KP&F plan, there is no option to withdraw. The concern of switching to the KP&F plan is funding the plan in the future if the sales tax revenue does not cover the expense of rising city contributions. The .20% sales tax increase is expected to generate $750,000 per year.
"At some time, I'm going to have to decide if I can do this," said Davis. "As police officers and firemen retire, many of us go get another job out of the public safety sector. Those jobs, with less stress and physical demand, won't pay as well as the one I had for more than 30 years."
The city council is mulling over the possibility of increasing the current Mission Square plan to have more control on how much goes into each employee’s fund.
Much has also been brought before city administration and the city council on the struggles to retain fire and police employees. Not belonging to the KP&F plan has played a role in officers and firemen leaving for another department. There are only four fire departments in Kansas that don't participate in the KP&F plan, with Great Bend included in that list.
The city council is anticipated to vote on the police and fire retirement
decision at the March 7 meeting.
Read previous stories on the city's public safety retirement by clicking the links below.
Improving fire & police retirement: Rock...Great Bend...hard place
Great Bend hears emotional support for better police & fire retirement
Big decision for Great Bend's police and fire retirement plans
How Great Bend will finance new pension plan for fire and police