Retirement

[phillydog07]

This afternoon I had the privilege of attending a retirement ceremony for the dad of one of my best friends. Today ended a 36 ½ year career in Law Enforcement….all with the same department. It was truly amazing to be there to celebrate a very long career. I just thought I would share a few of the interesting tidbits, as some of them illustrate how much the LE profession has changed. Though in my non-sworn reserve position I don't do very much of any real "police work", he is definitely the type of officer I look up to and aspire to be like.

He started at the age of just 16 as a “Student Worker”, was promoted to a Community Service Officer upon graduating from high school and was then sworn in as a “Public Safety Officer” at the age of 20. Initially, the “Department of Public Safety” handled both police and fire services and the PSOs fought both crime and fire. There was very little training on the fire side of things. He recounted that the job of the CSOs was to drive the fire engines to the fire calls where, if they were lucky, they would run into a PSO who had the turnout gear. If not, they just did the best they could and “put the wet stuff on the hot stuff”, as he put it.


cont...

[phillydog07]

He also recalled the only time he has come close to being killed on the job. He recalled driving down a state highway following behind a car that he wasn’t paying any particular attention to. He noticed that the car was weaving all over the road. He followed for a while, and the car drove even more erratically, eventually coming to a stop near a fast food restaurant. The man, in his mid 50’s, got out of the car and ran down a hill, towards and wooded area. Of course, he gave chase. He watched as the man got to the bottom of the hill and he stopped his foot pursuit. Taking the man for a bumbling drunk, and knowing that the department had a yet to be tested canine, he thought it might be fun to have the dog come and track him. He waited for the canine to arrive and watched the man run into the woods. Just then, an APB came over the air for a car whose driver had just disarmed two officers in a city about 10 miles north. Sure enough, he looked at the plate on the “drunk” man’s car, and that was it. Inside the car, they found packaging for a sub-machine gun. He said there was no doubt in his mind that if he had followed the man into the woods instead of waiting for the dog, he would not have made it out alive.


He worked the last 21 years as an investigator, so there were plenty of stories of long investigations, and interrogations that ended with confessions at 2:00 AM at the county jail. One of his fellow investigators recounted an instance in which, with no physical force, he had a suspect on the floor on the interrogation room, crying in the fetal position, confessing to his crime.

Of course there were many more stories to be told, after all 36 years is a long time. There were the stories of the shenanigans with co-workers that left the Chief shaking his head and laughing, but I think I'm safe in saying that the stories that went untold were the ones that made him such a great cop.

The ceremony ended with him going 10-7 for the final time. He was the last officer in the department who had originally been sworn in as a "Public Safety Officer" and not a "Police Officer".

Him: 45 Ida 43

Dispatch: 45 Ida 43

Him: I’ll be 10-7 for the final time.

Dispatch: After 36 years, 45 Ida 43 is 10-7 for the final time.



And yes, there is a kicker to this all. He has court the very next day.

[OneAdam12]

God bless him.

[FJDave]

Thank him for his service for me. Happy retirement!

[Iowa #1603]

Tell him another old dog says Hi.


I know for a fact he will enjoy his retirement.

[ChiTownDet]

God love him, he made it out in one piece and hope he enjoys that pension for many years to come..

[Hokie13]

The ceremony ended with him going 10-7 for the final time. He was the last officer in the department who had originally been sworn in as a "Public Safety Officer" and not a "Police Officer".

Him: 45 Ida 43

Dispatch: 45 Ida 43

Him: I’ll be 10-7 for the final time.

Dispatch: After 36 years, 45 Ida 43 is 10-7 for the final time.

Everytime I read this in a story, whether it's a funeral or retirement, I get chills. God bless him. Enjoy retirement.

[phillydog07]

Everytime I read this in a story, whether it's a funeral or retirement, I get chills. God bless him. Enjoy retirement.

Same here.