A former New York police officer has revealed why he ditched the force and moved his family 4,000 miles away – blaming rising violence and the soaring cost of living.
Risel Martinez spent a decade serving with the NYPD after growing up in New York City.
But after watching conditions worsen, the 35-year-old and his wife made the life-changing decision to start over abroad.
READ MORE: Brit mum quits ambulance job after council places autistic son, five, in ‘unsafe’ school
The dad-of-two has now swapped the Big Apple for the sunny coast of Montenegro – and says he has “never been happier”.
“Seeing the horrible trajectory for NYC, me and my wife both decided to move out,” Risel told Need To Know.
“We both didn’t want to raise our children in the ‘New’ NYC.
“The prices have skyrocketed, and the quality of life has decreased, the NYPD is currently in a hiring crisis.
“So you have no respect for police, barely any police left, it is an equation for an even bigger disaster when it comes to safety.”
Risel and his wife Yanyah moved with their two children, Smiljana, eight, and Vuk, four.
The family now live on the Adriatic coast in Montenegro – more than 4,000 miles from their old life.
And Risel says the change has transformed their lives.
He said: “I feel younger, healthier, and my quality of life has improved significantly.
“The respect everyone has for women and children is immense.
“The safety for women and children is very high.”
The move has also slashed their living costs.
After spending nearly ,000 a month on groceries in New York, the family now pays just 60.
Risel said: “The cost of living is around 40-60% less than New York.”
The family first left the US in 2021 after years of gruelling work in the NYPD took its toll.
Risel said the pandemic played a key role in his decision to quit.
He said: “A mandate came down and said we all are forced to get the vaccine or get fired.
“I believed if you wanted to get the vaccine, you get it on your own volition; nobody should force you to get it.
“So I decided to leave the job before the mandate came into effect.
“This way I could keep a portion of my pension instead of getting fired and risking not getting any pension and retired NYPD status.”
Since moving, Risel has turned his passion for bodybuilding into a new career.
He now runs an online fitness coaching and supplement business.
Alongside his wife, the couple are preparing to open their first gym on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast.
He added: “Retrospectively, it was a scary thing to do and it was hard the first couple years to get adjusted.
“Especially to figure out a whole new system, but I am so happy I made the move.
“My wife is so happy we made the move and I feel like, as a family, we’re happier and the children are really happy.
“We are extremely excited for this new chapter in our lives with the new gym that will be opening up soon.
“Which we hope will allow us to give back to this country and its people, the way they have so warmly and generously given to us.”
