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In the early ‘80’s my landlord was a retired alcoholic Detroit cop. He’d retired, he said, on full salary after 20 years. He told me about the good old days when they beat confessions out of people. He said he was getting more money now than when he was a cop as he got a raise every time his former coworkers did. I asked him how the city could continue to essentially keep every employee it had ever had on the roles forever. He never did answer that. As I recall, it was like bringing two south poles of a magnet together. He couldn’t even ask himself the question.
They have few services left because all the budget goes to salaries and pensions. Half the fire trucks and ambulances can’t run, the cops hardly go out unless it sounds really bad and then a 911 call can take an hour.
They can’t fix streets, can’t light the street lamps, the vast majority of parks are closed and have been since about 2008. Maybe they to recall some of those ex-cops and ex-park employees to come and work for those pensions if they are still abled.
The rest, in lieu of losing a portion of their pension, can take a free house of their choosing, they have about 75,000 abandoned properties, after all. Can’t afford to tear them down.
There are many retired from the US government doing the same thing. Many with only a couple years of service expecting a lifetime of benefits.
Did it ever occur to you that your friend just might be full of shit? 20 years? Why don't you ask him if his retirement was a disability retirement which was common amongst Detroit cops of his day. And for what it's worth, retired cops never received their contractual raises until the DPOA filed suit back in the 1990's and it took years before the court finally decided the lawsuit in favor of the DPOA in approx. 2002 and granted the retirees the monies they were entitled to, retroactive and payable in three year installments.
With that being said, ask your friend if he is receiving Social Security benefits?
As a side note, my dad retired from the DPOA in 1978 as an Executive Lieutenant........