CINCINNATI -- Officer Louis Arnold Sr. joined the Cincinnati Police Department at the age most people retire.
Arnold, an 11-year veteran, joined the force when he was 55 years old. He’s 66 now, but he doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon.
Arnold said it was a lifelong dream of his to become a police officer. He decided to take the plunge in 2007, when the housing crisis hit and his business as a general contractor dried up.
He trained with recruits that were young enough to be his grandchildren, but he said he never gave up, and he never finished last.
"They would always have a van follow us when we went running; I never got in the van," Arnold said.
He said he gets a lot of grief from the younger police officers about his age.
"They call me ‘old man’ and ‘papa,’ and it's a reference to my age all the time, but what I always remind them is, I did the same thing in the academy that you had to do."
Chief Eliot Isaac said hiring people of all ages helps makes the police department stronger.
"When you see someone that's older, more experienced in life, they bring a lot of wisdom, they bring a lot of life experience and I think it's really benefited the department by hiring some older officers,” Isaac said.
Arnold said he’s never let his age hinder what he can do.
“Age does not matter in this career,” Arnold said. “If you want to be a police officer I would just suggest you to go for it.”
Arnold says he plans to retire, but not for another five years.
