Out of retirement, back on the beat

But after a few years, he decided to give it all up — and go back to work as an officer on the streets.

“At my age, there is no reason why I should be retired if I can work,’’ said Rivera, who was receiving $40,000 a year as a retiree. “I thought I had more to offer. I thought I was better suited to come back to work and help the community, rather than stay home and collect ‘free money.’ ’’

In late February, Rivera, now 42 and healthy again, put the badge back on and returned to the New Bedford force.

“Every police officer in the country has heard someone say at least once, ‘You couldn’t pay me to do your job,’ ’’ said Lieutenant Jeffrey P. Silva. “Even though he was being paid to stay home, you couldn’t pay him to stay away.’’

Rivera’s return to duty comes at a time when municipal workers have been under fire for abusing disability and retirement benefits.

On March 24, Eliezer Gonzalez, 48, a Boston police detective who was once named a “top cop’’ for good police work, was arraigned in federal court on charges that he faked injuries and defrauded the city and a private insurer in a disability scam, prosecutors said.

Last October, federal authorities charged two former Boston firefighters with faking career-ending injuries and charged a Fire Department clerk with lying under oath about the situation. The federal charges are part of an ongoing investigation into pension abuse in Boston.

In 2008, former Boston firefighter Albert Arroyo, said to be “totally and permanently disabled’’ by a back injury, had his pension yanked after he was found competing in a national bodybuilding competition.

Globe investigations have also found a number of city and town workers manipulating the pension system to maximize their retirement benefits.

But Rivera, who was entitled to all the benefits these workers were seeking, made a starkly different decision.

“We really appreciate his perseverance and commitment to duty,’’ said New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang.

“This is an example of someone who understands his calling — public service. We welcomed him back.’’

Hypertension and heart disease are fused to the policing and firefighting fields. Studies show the life expectancy of men and women in these professions is a decade shorter than for other Americans.

Dr. Malissa Wood, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, has treated police and firefighters who have suffered heart attacks. She said the job and lifestyle takes both a mental and physical toll on people.

“Not only is it a physically demanding job, but also a psychologically demanding one,’’ Wood said. “But again, if the heart muscle and the arteries are treated appropriately, they should be able to return to their regular activities.

Because of this, Massachusetts law provides benefits to emergency workers who suffer injuries or heart attacks, allowing them to receive tax-free benefits for life.

In New Bedford, no one has ever returned to work after retiring “on a heart,’’ Silva said.

Rivera was working on July 14, 2003, when he felt tightness in his chest. He went home and still managed to mow the lawn. When the pain did not go away that night, he went to the hospital. It was a wake-up call. Doctors told him — a man still in his mid-30s — that he suffered a heart attack.

“I have no family history of cardiac disease,’’ Rivera said.

He was placed on disability and formally retired in 2005. After recovering from his heart attack, Rivera hit the gym, hard. He exercises every day and maintains a healthy diet, but he has other reasons to fight for his health, too.

“I have three children — a daughter and two sons — and I’m married,’’ he said. “That’s one of the biggest reasons for staying healthy.’’

His strategy: “gym, gym, gym every day and a lot of positive thinking.’’

Wood agrees that heart patients can lead very active lifestyles under the right circumstances.

“I take care of patients who have had heart attacks and end up running marathons,’’ she said. “If you recognize the symptoms of the heart attack when it’s happening and treat it appropriately, you can prevent the heart from being damaged. And as long as the heart doesn’t sustain damage, you can return to a very active lifestyle.

“A heart attack is a crisis, but it’s also an opportunity to get into better shape and have a healthier life.’’

Officer Timothy Gibney, president of the New Bedford Police Union, said Rivera’s colleagues are glad to have him back.

“The guys are really happy for him and happy that he was able to get his life back to a point where he could pass the physical. Most people never get that physical stamina back. We hope he has a long career ahead of him,’’ Gibney said.

A New Bedford native, Rivera was hired in 1989 as a police cadet. He graduated from the police academy in 1992 and has worked as the city’s DARE officer and in the detective bureau, handling juvenile crimes and sexual assaults. He was commended twice for meritorious service as an officer.

Rivera has rejoined the department’s uniform patrol division, assuming regular policing responsibilities in the First Precinct, Downtown New Bedford. He said he hopes to put in 15 to 20 more years before retiring, this time for good.

“Or as many years as God tells me I can do.’’

John M. Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.com.