Notification Procedures
| Death of a Retired Officer |
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The following information is for all
Austin Police Officer retirees whether members of the
APD Retirees association or not. The information is being provided
because of the discrepancies and issues in the past regarding
funerals for retired APD Officers.
The Austin Police Department, the
Retirement System, and the APROA
should be notified of a retired officer's death.

/ See contact information below /
When contacting the department, please ask them to have the
Honor Guard Commander contact the family regarding any Honors
desired for the funeral or memorial service.
When a retired Police Officer from APD dies, his/her next of
kin has the option of certain Honors. They are similar to an active
officer's not-in-the-line-of-duty death. The proper protocols
for the honors at the funeral or memorial service are spelled
out in the APD Funeral Committee General Orders. The Honors allotted
to a retired Austin Police Officer are as follows:
1. |
Pall Bearers |
2. |
U.S. Flag |
3. |
Bagpipes |
4. |
Bugler |
Part of problem is that the retiree is not letting their next
of kin know that these honors are available and is not providing
the next of kin with the proper procedures to contact the department
and/or honor guard. In order to facilitate that process, a retired
officer has been placed on the APD Funeral Committee to represent
retired officers and their families. (see below for contact information)
If the family of the retiree chooses to have the APD Honor Guard
participate in the funeral or memorial service of a retired officer,
the Commander of the APD Honor Guard needs to be notified as soon
as possible so he can meet with the family as they meet with the
funeral home. This is NOT to "take over" the arrangements.
It is because even though there are guidelines for the funeral,
each funeral and the wishes of each family is different. A family
may desire all, none, or only some of the honors authorized by
the department to recognize their service to the agency and the
public. It is the intent of the department and Honor Guard that
the wishes of the family be respected.
Understand that the Honors provided at a funeral are not just
thrown together at the last minute. The Austin Police Department
Honor Guard performs their duties in a very precise and solemn
military fashion and needs certain information about the funeral
arrangements so they can plan the performance of their duties
for any given funeral. The Honor Guard does not desire to “take
over” the arrangements from the family. Rather, they only wish
to honor the retired officer for their service to the department
and the public…within the confines established by the family…
and to assist the family during this difficult time.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please make notifications to the department about the death
of a retired officer to the Chief's office. Ask the Chief’s Office
to have the Honor Guard Commander contact the family concerning
any Honors desired for the funeral or memorial service.
APD Chief & Assistant Chiefs
512.974.5030
Please make notifications to the department about the death
of a retired officer to the APROA by contacting any member of
the Board of Directors or
the APD Funeral Committee-APROA Representative.
APD Funeral Committee - APROA
Representative
Dennis Farris
|
512.944.3148 |
Please make notifications to the Retirement System about
the death of a retired officer by contacting the appropriate system
as shown below:
RETIREMENT SYSTEMS
City of Austin Employees Retirement System
(only for those who retired under this system)
512.458.2551
Austin Police Retirement System
512.416.7672
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