SUBJECTS FOR THIS STUDY WERE DRAWN FROM THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT RETIREES OF 1960, 1965, AND 1970. THE QUESTIONNAIRES CONTAINED ITEMS OF INFORMATION RELATIVE TO: AGE AT RETIREMENT; YEARS OF COMPLETED SERVICE; EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS PRIOR TO RETIREMENT; REASONS FOR RETIREMENT; POST-RETIREMENT OCCUPATIONS AND CAREERS; AND POST-RETIREMENT SALARIES. IN ADDITION TO DETERMINING CAREER PATTERNS AND THE VALUE OF PRE-RETIREMENT COUNSELING, THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COULD HAVE RETAINED THE SERVICES OF SOME OF THESE FORMER MEMBERS OR EVEN FUTURE RETIREES, PAST THEIR MINIMUM RETIREMENT DATES, THROUGH AN ACTIVE INTERVIEW AND COUNSELING PROGRAM. THE RESULTS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE DID NOT INDICATE ANY DEFINITE CAREER PATTERNING PER SE; HOWEVER, IT WAS NOTED THAT HIGHER RANK DURING SERVICE AND HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT DURING SERVICE WERE RELATED TO MORE PRESTIGIOUS AND HIGHER PAYING POST-RETIREMENT CAREERS. FEW RETIREES ENTERED SECURITY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT RELATED CAREERS. MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS STATED THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY PRE-RETIREMENT COUNSELING OR ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY BELIEVED THAT SUCH ASSISTANCE WOULD HAVE AIDED THEM. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A VIABLE PRE-RETIREMENT COUNSELING PROGRAM FOR THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD ATTEMPT TO RETAIN SOME PERSONNEL PAST THEIR MINIMUM RETIREMENT AGE IN ORDER TO STOP THE DRAIN OF EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL THROUGH EARLY, YOUTHFUL RETIREMENTS. AN AFTERWORD ON SOME REVISED POLICE DEPARTMENT RETIREMENT PROCEDURES IMPLEMENTED AFTER COMPLETION OF THIS STUDY IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)