Many federal police officers don’t receive enhanced pay and retirement benefits, here's how that might change

Federal police officers, in many cases, aren’t receiving enhanced retirement benefits and pay because they do not fall under the statutory definition of a law enforcement officer. The Government Accountability Office on Wednesday published a report that analyzed issues Congress would need to address if it decided to extend benefits to police officers. 

The federal government defines police officers as employees who primarily work to preserve the peace and prevent, detect and investigate crimes on or near federal property. Law enforcement officers, on the other hand, are considered to mostly investigate, apprehend and detain individuals suspected or convicted of criminal offenses in the U.S. 

Police officers generally receive benefits through the standard Federal Employees Retirement System, and some do get perks available for statutory law enforcement officers. For example, the Treasury Department is authorized to pay Bureau of Engraving and Printing and U.S. Mint police officers higher rates than comparable such officers. And Congress in 1988 made Park Police and the Secret Service eligible for enhanced retirement benefits.

There were approximately 12,600 federal police officers at the end of fiscal 2023, and nearly half of them worked for the Defense Department. 

Some agencies have reported challenges recruiting and retaining police officers due to the variations in benefits and pay. GAO’s analysis found that, between fiscal 2019 and 2023, federal police officers with standard retirement benefits typically had higher attrition rates than officers receiving enhanced benefits. 

Officials at nearly half of the agencies that GAO investigators interviewed said working conditions for police officers have changed in recent years, including an increased threat environment, civil unrest, worsening attrition and increased need for overtime. 

In the 118th Congress, a bipartisan, bicameral coalition introduced legislation — the Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act in the House and the Law Enforcement Officers Parity Act in the Senate — that would extend enhanced retirement benefits to police officers and other federal law enforcement positions. Neither bill received any legislative action. 

A spokesperson for Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., one of the senior appropriators who received the report, told Government Executive that “we are ready to work toward the fair pay and treatment of federal law enforcement." 

The GAO report noted that the Office of Personnel Management has previously approved agencies to offer special pay rates to police officers. 

Along with costing more money, investigators cautioned that any legislative fix to the disparity in retirement benefits for federal police officers would need to address whether to include past service when considering eligibility for enhanced retirement benefits. Statutory federal law enforcement officers have a mandatory 57-year-old retirement age and need 20 years of experience to be eligible for such benefits.