If a friend, loved one, or co-worker is retiring from the police force, they deserve to be honored. Working for years as a policeman, serving and protecting the community is something to be proud of, and that should be celebrated. The best way to honor them and celebrate their service is to throw them a surprise retirement party.
Choose a Theme and Decorations
When choosing a theme for the party, you want to do something related to police officers. There are several ways to decorate a police officer theme party. You can hang law enforcement targets on the wall. You can use blue tablecloths with crime scene tape along the sides. For centerpieces or for gifts for the party guests, you can have a mug made of the retiree in their uniform, and tie blue, white, and yellow balloons to the handle. You also place handcuffs and whistles around the tables. You want the room to look as festive, and police-like as possible.
The Guest List
If you are a co-worker coming up with the guest list, it is important to invite everyone that the retiree has ever worked with. This includes both officers and dispatch. You also want to include the retiree’s spouse, close family members, and close friends. If the party is going to be a surprise, the retiree’s spouse can help with the guests that are not police officers.
There are a few ways that you can go with the invitations. You can send e-vites, you can create a party page on social media, or you can send out physical invitation. One great idea is to make the invitations on “failure to appear” notices. It is a clever way to honor the retiree’s service as a police officer.
Gift Ideas
It is important to get a retirement gift for the retiree. It can be something that you purchase on your own, or that you have the group go in on. There are several 24 karat gold dipped gifts that most men would love. For example, a playable golf ball and tee set. If the retiree likes playing poker, you can get him a 24 karat gold dipped poker deck or golf ball (check them here – www.anniversarygiftsforparents.co.uk).
If you cannot think of an appropriate gift for the guest of honor, cash is always a great idea. Especially for someone who is about to retire. With all the free time on their hands, they can start to save for a vacation.
Set Up an Area For Guests to Leave a Message
It is a good idea to set something up for guests to express their well wishes to the retiree. Many people choose a simple guest book, where guests can sign in and leave a message. If you want to be more creative, you can get a photo of the retiree in their uniform, and have it blown up to poster size. The guests can sign and leave a quick message. This is something that the retiree can later frame, to display in their home.
Display Memorabilia
It is a nice idea to gather photos, copies of honor certificates, and other forms of memorabilia from the retiree’s career on the force. Many of these items may be on file at the police station. You can also ask the retiree’s spouse for any photographs that would be relevant to your display.
Plan a Program
It is a good idea to plan a program for the party. This can include speeches given by the retiree’s supervisor, their partner, past partners, and other co-workers who the retiree was close to. These speeches should be made about 60 minutes after the arrival of the retiree, after all the guests have had a chance to arrive and have something to eat.
If the retiree has a good sense of humor, you can consider a roast. During the roast, guests can get up and poke fun at the retiree. If you don’t know much about roasts, but want to have one, there are several good examples on YouTube.
Planning a retirement party can be a lot of work. Try not to get too stressed out. Knowing how important that it is to honor a retiring officer will make it worth the effort.