Six Boone PD personnel to retire
By Melanie Davis
The Boone Police Department will be losing
six personnel, including five out of the 13 ranking positions,
to retirement over the next two years.
Phyllis Denney, a master police officer working now in administration,
will be the first to retire on Aug. 1, after more than 30
years with the department. Denney was hired in 1978 as a
records clerk, after working two years as the deputy register
of deeds for Watauga County.
From left, Sgt. Jim
Harrison, Patrol Lt. Johnny R. Reese, Patrol Lt. Mike
Norris, Capt. William Greene, Capt. Curtis Main and
Phyllis Denney will be retiring from the Boone Police
Department over the next two years. Photo
by Mark Mitchell |
She said during the early years with the department,
she also worked as a dispatcher as needed.
Throughout her career with Boone PD, Denney has assisted
with the drug task force, participating in surveillance
efforts and the execution of search warrants.
Before the law enforcement complex was built on Hodges Gap
Road, arrestees were processed at the Blowing Rock Road
Boone police station.
Denney would occasionally be called upon to search female
arrestees.
Currently, Denney is responsible for the financial aspects
of the department, such as budget and payroll. She is also
one of only three in the department authorized to enter
the evidence and property storage area to register or check
out items for court appearances.
Denney said, “It was a different world in 1978 for
the Boone PD. There were 14 officers when I started, now
there are 44.”
“Retirement was a big, hard decision. You wait and
wait for the day to come, then suddenly it’s here and
I wonder what I am going to do without waking up everyday
to come to work,” she said.
Although, she does have plans. “My parents are getting
older and I want to spend more time with them,” Denney
said, adding that she hopes to travel and pick up some new
hobbies.
Captain of investigations William Greene is the next to
retire on Oct. 1 of this year. At the time of his retirement
he will have 28 and one half years with the Boone PD. Greene
may be leaving this career, but has no intentions of remaining
idle. He said that although he will take some time to complete
household projects, he is also considering a few second
career options.
Greene chose law enforcement as his career of choice because
of the structured nature and variety of experiences. He
had initially considered military options, but law enforcement
held a greater appeal. Of the experiences over his 28 years
with Boone PD, a few really stand out to Greene.
The first was his involvement with the successful conviction
of Daniel Lee in 1990. Lee was convicted of first degree
murder, first degree kidnapping and first degree rape in
a case involving two local women. Greene said it was the
strength of character he saw in the witness, as well as
the cooperation between multiple agencies that makes that
case stand out. Lee has since died in prison.
The second experience Greene mentioned was the opportunity
to attend three months of Federal Bureau of Investigation
training in 2004. His roommate during the three months was
a law enforcement officer from Estonia, a country near Russia.
Greene said it was interesting to share stories and learn
about differences in law enforcement on a global level.
The position has held numerous rewards for Greene. The most
rewarding of which he said, is “Being able to help
the victim of a crime. That situation is the most important
thing in their life at that time.”
Sgt. Jim Harrison will also be retiring on Oct. 1 of this
year. Harrison will have served a collective 32 years in
law enforcement, with the last 17 years with the Boone PD.
He is currently a sergeant in the administrative unit. Harrison
oversees hiring processes for the department, uniforms and
equipment distribution, officer training, fleet maintenance
and property and evidence control.
Harrison worked for the police department in Lenoir prior
to returning to his native Watauga County. While at the
Lenoir department, Harrison served as the police coordinator
for the Crimestoppers for that area. He helped establish
the Crimestoppers in Boone in 1987, prior to his position
with the Boone department. Harrison continues to serve as
the Boone Crimestoppers coordinator.
Harrison’s interest in law enforcement took hold while
he was serving four years with the U.S. Air Force. He began
studying criminal justice while serving on the air craft
maintenance crews.
In retirement, Harrison said he plans to “make up for
lost time” with his four children and two granddaughters.
He also plans to take his hobby of photography a little
more seriously
Though he added, “It feels strange. After all these
years of working, now I will have no job.”
Harrison could have retired three years ago. “I hope
it is a good choice. I tried to really think about it. Thirty-two
years of law enforcement is a long time,” he said.
“There is another group of people that I’ve had
the distinct pleasure of working with that I must mention,
and that is my board of directors of the Watauga County
Crimestoppers program,” he said.
Patrol Lt. Mike Norris is next in line to retire on Jan.
1, 2009, after 24 years with Boone PD. Norris is a watch
commander over a patrol squad while on duty. He is also
the training supervisor for new hires. Partial reporting
of crime statistics and civil citation collections round
out his duties with the department.
Norris said the rewards and challenges of the position can
tie closely together. “Everyday we deal with people
under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs or the abuse
of prescription medication. You don’t know to expect,”
he said.
The challenges for Norris lie in seeing the effects those
drugs have on a person’s life. While the positive shines
through when it is evident that an arrest is going to make
a difference in the person’s life.
He spoke of a driving while impaired arrest from several
years ago. The suspect was difficult and abusive. However,
several days after the arrest, the man came into the police
station looking for Norris.
The man had come simply to thank Norris, and told him that
arrest had led him to evaluate his dependence on alcohol
and seek help.
Norris said that situation is the reward in law enforcement,
adding that the reason he went into this career was to positively
impact the lives of others. “To truly make a difference
overshadows all the bad an officer sees,” he said.
Norris said he had been considering retirement over the
last year. “My wife has already retired and now we
are ready to travel,” he said.
Patrol Lt. Johnny R. Reese will retire one month later on
Feb. 1, 2009 after 28 years with the Boone PD.
His interest in law enforcement began after taking an introduction
to criminal justice course. Reese was a volunteer EMT for
the Boone Fire Department, and already held an interest
in helping the public.
Reese maintains his EMT license and it has been useful in
his law enforcement career.
In the mid-1980s he was the first on scene to a 4 a.m. distress
call at an apartment complex. Upon arrival, he discovered
a pregnant woman and a baby that did not feel like waiting
for an ambulance. Reese delivered the healthy baby before
assistance arrived.
The job has its challenges for Reese.
“There are times when an officer has to make a quick
decision on a problem that has been there for years,”
he said.
Reese does not yet have plans for his retirement, adding
with a smile that he will decide where to go next after
the remaining 10 months is up.
Capt. Curtis Main will retire on Oct. 1, 2009 after 28 and
one half years of service with the Boone PD. Main oversees
all uniform operations such as patrol, bike patrol, school
resource officer, traffic enforcement and the downtown officer.
In his 28 years in law enforcement, Main has utilized only
two sick days.
“You don’t take time off because of the effect
on the shift,” he said, citing the safety of other
officers in a short-handed situation.
Main is looking forward to retirement, as he says, “I
don’t want to have any particular place to be.
“I will miss the people. After 28 to 30 years, they
are like family. I’ve watched their kids grow up,”
he said.
“And I think about the good folks we’ve lost.”
As a Watauga native, Main is planning to be more active
in the community upon retirement, volunteering through his
church and other civic organizations.
The police department will lose two more ranking officers
in 2010 with the retirement of Sgt. Randy Brown and Lt.
Tom Redmond. Chief Bill Post is currently eligible for retirement,
though he has decided to postpone it until after the department
is resettled with the new officers.
The ranking positions will be filled by promoting from within
the department, although new officers will need to be hired.
“The hard work and consistency of service provided
by the the officers will make the transition smooth for
the department as a whole,” he said.
Post has worked to make the process as transparent as possible
for all of the officers in the department. He created a
chart which shows the end date for each retiring officer
and works backward to show when promotions and training
will take place. The chart is posted within plain view of
all officers.
“The public will not recognize a difference in stability
or effectiveness from the department,” Post added.
“The officers that are retiring have been a source
of leadership through mentoring and cooperation.”
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