Now, after a combined 56 years serving East Lansing, both Johnson and Johnstone have taken their first steps toward retirement from the department through a post-retirement, continued employment program. The captains are some of the last officers to retire through the program, which is being cut because of Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, restrictions at the end of this year, City Manager Ted Staton said. Those already in the program — several of whom are in top leadership positions — will finish at their expected dates.

After the program is eliminated, officers will not have a separation time or be phased out during a period of years, which some say will limit the department’s ability to train officers for higher-level positions.

The program requires an officer to spend 60 days with “clear separation” from the police station, Johnstone said.

After the separation, the officer returns to the police department for two or three years and slowly begins to phase new officers into their position. After two years have passed, the officer either will retire fully or stay on for an additional year, at the discretion of the police chief, before retiring.

Johnson completed his time off in August 2009. Johnstone completed his initial break from the department on Monday. Since former police Chief Tom Wibert unexpectedly left the force at the end of October, and East Lansing police Deputy Chief Juli Liebler expects to retire in the next several years, the East Lansing Police Department will be under completely new management within the next five years. In addition to upper management positions, three police lieutenants and two sergeants also are being retired through the program, Johnstone said.

If it wasn’t for the current program, those who retire wouldn’t have as large a time period to train their successors.

Johnson said the officers are responsible for slowly integrating officers in the rank below them to the responsibilities and roles of the management job.
“You look at the whole command structure and try to make sure we’re providing opportunities to members,” Johnson said. “We’ve been teaching them certain things. We do take them to different meetings and (show them) what we do.”

The program will end at the end of this year because having employed individuals receive pay during retirement is in conflict with IRS regulations, Staton said. Under the regulations, a person cannot be paid from their retirement funds while still employed, he said.

Johnstone said although a large number of officers retiring within a few years is not common, the system is an important one to have in place.
“The phasing out of the program allows for a smoother transition in the ranks if you consider the size of our agency and our chief suddenly leaving and taking another job,” Johnstone said.

“If the retirement was eliminated immediately, then that would cause a lot of issues for the police department in replacing positions.”

Johnstone said it can take up to an entire year to hire and train officers for a new position.

However, Liebler is confident that the system will be able to handle transitions.

“I’m sure there will be someone, or several people, who can stand up and take over when we’re gone,” she said.