BUFF
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Wednesday night's graveyard shift was my final one. I turn in my patrol car and other gear today, shake a few last hands and that's that.
I was sworn into the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office October 9, 1981. Began the Utah State police academy October 12, 1981. The law enforcement functions of the Sheriffs Office was separated from the corrections (jail) functions January 1, 2010 and we became the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake.
That's 32 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 5 days.
I had the opportunities of working uniformed patrol, burglary detective, robbery/homicide detective, patrol shift sergeant, crime lab manager and then patrol shift sergeant again, where I'm finishing up.
Minor secondary activities included helping found our Emergency Vehicle Operations training program, using Utah POST's tremendous road course and skid pad facility, participating in several abortive attempts to organize, train and provide a peer support group, helping to organize my department's first Fraternal Order of Police lodge, where I served as first lodge V.P and then as lodge secretary for some years, shooting (marginally!) on the department pistol team.
I wore uniforms of dark green over pink, desert tan over forest green and finally dark blue over dark blue.
I drove Fords, lotsa Fords, from LTDs to one year of Caprice Classic Chevys, Crown Vics, Tauruses, more Crown Vics, a nice dark green 4 door 4WD F-150, more Crown Vics, and finally one of Ford's new V-6 AWD Interceptors, based on the civilian Taurus. I never had a junker, just some I liked better. They all kept me safe.
High point, obviously, was the people I met. Great people, generally, to work with, a fine citizen body to serve and protect, three elected sheriffs who all made it understood that the citizens' benefit and protection were the reason for us being there.
While I never intended to enter law enforcement as a career after college, I thought it might be an interesting way to feed myself until I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. The job soon sinks it's teeth into you if you are suited to it. We felt like Boy Scouts with guns. I soon grew to be fascinated with it, felt we really did help make life better for the good people by catching the bad people, and it sucked me right in.
I'm thankful for the opportunity I got to have this profession, and I will very much miss it.
I was sworn into the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office October 9, 1981. Began the Utah State police academy October 12, 1981. The law enforcement functions of the Sheriffs Office was separated from the corrections (jail) functions January 1, 2010 and we became the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake.
That's 32 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 5 days.
I had the opportunities of working uniformed patrol, burglary detective, robbery/homicide detective, patrol shift sergeant, crime lab manager and then patrol shift sergeant again, where I'm finishing up.
Minor secondary activities included helping found our Emergency Vehicle Operations training program, using Utah POST's tremendous road course and skid pad facility, participating in several abortive attempts to organize, train and provide a peer support group, helping to organize my department's first Fraternal Order of Police lodge, where I served as first lodge V.P and then as lodge secretary for some years, shooting (marginally!) on the department pistol team.
I wore uniforms of dark green over pink, desert tan over forest green and finally dark blue over dark blue.
I drove Fords, lotsa Fords, from LTDs to one year of Caprice Classic Chevys, Crown Vics, Tauruses, more Crown Vics, a nice dark green 4 door 4WD F-150, more Crown Vics, and finally one of Ford's new V-6 AWD Interceptors, based on the civilian Taurus. I never had a junker, just some I liked better. They all kept me safe.
High point, obviously, was the people I met. Great people, generally, to work with, a fine citizen body to serve and protect, three elected sheriffs who all made it understood that the citizens' benefit and protection were the reason for us being there.
While I never intended to enter law enforcement as a career after college, I thought it might be an interesting way to feed myself until I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. The job soon sinks it's teeth into you if you are suited to it. We felt like Boy Scouts with guns. I soon grew to be fascinated with it, felt we really did help make life better for the good people by catching the bad people, and it sucked me right in.
I'm thankful for the opportunity I got to have this profession, and I will very much miss it.
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It took me a little time to get used to the fact I didn't have to go to work. But after awhile you will find your now have the time to do all the things you wanted to do while you were working.
