[B]
The Top Step Officer is the top of the payscale. They are probably in charge of the patrol unit, I would think the ranking would be somewhere around atleast a Lieutenant, but I'm not sure as it all depends on size of the Police Department. The bigger the department the more Sargeants and Lieutenants make, but the harder it is to become one.
Most Police Departments are willing to recruit officers from other Departments, because they already got through the Academy, so there is no chance of them dropping/failing out of training, since they went through the training.
When they advertise LE jobs and they talk about "top step" or "top payscale". They are talking about the top you can make as a Deputy or Officer without ever promoting. It usually takes about 6 to 8 years to make top step. However it is also not uncommon to have promoted to the next higher rank in about 8 years.
It is because they are all ready retired by 48 and now are working a second career.
SkyHigh
I have worked at a SoCal Sheriff's Dept. as a Corrections Officer for the last eight years. So my experience is based on facts, not hersay from a cousins-brothers-best-friends-ex-husband that knows a cop that retired at 40, making 100k in retirement. etc. I have never seen one person retire under 53 years old (there was one, but he won 9 mil in the Lotto). The average is probably more like 55 to 56. That is sooner then at an airline for sure. But that is also with 30+ years of service. If you are a career changer coming in to LE at 30-35, you are definetly going to work into your 60's.
It takes more then just a great pay check to stay in LE for 30+ years. Just like it takes more then just a pay check to get people to fly. Don't talk about cost of training, education etc. People know the rules when the get into flying. Just like people know the rules when they get into Law Enforcement. If they think either one is all roses, they are just kidding themselves.