The police force is a source of camaraderie and trust, says local ex-policeman Colin Thorne, so retiring can be lonely.
That’s why the Queensland Retired Police Association was created.
Dr Thorne, the president of the Logan branch, has been a member of the club since 2010.
“We’ve got 84 members, consisting of members who are either retired or resigned Queensland police officers, and also their spouses who can join as associates,” Dr Thorne said.
“We also accept members from other police jurisdictions – it’s a pretty wide assortment.”
Dr Thorne said he was worried there were struggling retired police officers in Logan unaware of the association.
“Sometimes policing is a pretty daunting task,” he said.
“In my father’s era, once you retired from the police you lived about 10 years.
“Now it’s a lot better, but retirees still require assistance and camaraderie.”
He said the same goes for his generation.
“Being in the police in my era, which was in the 70s through to the 90s, you felt supported,” Mr Thorne said.
“So, when you left the coppers, you could lose that feeling of connection, and that’s what we try and promote.
“Any member who is falling on bad times or anything like that, we provide assistance and social activity to try and help.”
The group meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month, from 10.30am at Club Beenleigh.
They host raffles, events and lunches.
The Association was established in 1932, and currently has 17 branches throughout Queensland.
