As of November 1, he and wife Julie will be Roxburgh's newest posties, responsible for about 300 houses on the Teviot Valley RD1 and RD2 delivery areas.
From a young age, being a policeman was all he wanted, but he had got to the point where "I felt like I had done my bit ... it was time for a change.
"Policing is not like it was when I first joined. It was probably more simple then.
"There just wasn't any enjoyment in the job any more."
After working as a wages clerk for the Ashburton County Council, Mr Reed (47) started his police career with short stints in Dunedin and Mosgiel.
He spent most of his 27 policing years working in Central Otago, firstly in Roxburgh but, once promoted to sergeant, he was transferred to Alexandra.
This year he had been filling in as head of the Cromwell station.
While being a small town's policeman had its positive and negative aspects, he said that overall, being a police officer was a rewarding job and he was looking forward to getting back out into the community he used to police.
He first thought of becoming a postman a few years ago, but the opportunity had not come up until now, with the retirement of the postal contract owners, Mr Reed said.
Mrs Reed worked for the Central Otago District Council in the Roxburgh Service Centre but had resigned to help out with the postal deliveries.
