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‘One little part’

APD officer hangs up his badge after three decades

News Photo by Julie Riddle Retiring Sgt. Chris Johnston pauses near his patrol car on one of the last days before his retirement after 30 years with the Alpena Police Department.

ALPENA — “When you find a place that you fit in and enjoy, you stay,” the uniformed officer said, hands folded on the table in front of him.

Sgt. Chris Johnston, an Alpena Police Department officer who will hand in his badge on Friday afternoon, has called APD and the city of Alpena his place to stay for the past 30 years.

Retiring after a long career spent almost entirely on the sunrise side, Johnston looked back at the changes he’s seen over three decades of police work.

When he joined the Alpena force, one of 129 applicants vying for three positions, officers were using typewriters to record their activity. Squad cars were 1985 Dodge Diplomats, not the sleek sports utility vehicles of today.

Technology has vastly altered the way police do their job, he said, and the extent to which they can protect their community. In-car computers allow officers to run license plates and background checks while on the road. Cell phones allow them to communicate without revealing their conversations over a police scanner. Digital evidence collected during investigations helps police prosecute crime and keep criminals off the street.

“Who would have thought of that 30 years ago?” Johnston marvelled, describing the doorbell cameras and security systems that can help homeowners protect their property and share crucial information with police.

Crime trends haven’t really changed since he first put on an Alpena uniform, Johnston said. New laws have redefined some crimes, and drugs have come and gone in popularity, but overall, “we maintain a nice, safe community,” he said.

A nice, safe community, he was quick to add, is a group effort. He offered warm thanks to courts, prosecutors, Child Protective Services, mental health care workers, hospital staff, and many other players who support police work.

“I’m just a part of it,” Johnston said quietly. “One little part.”

Retirement will be just another chapter, Johnston said, one for which he is ready after many years of working weekends and holidays and missing out on family time. He leaves behind a legacy, he hopes, of treating everyone with respect, listening, and being humble.

“It’s just a job,” Johnston said of his career in uniform. “It’s just serve and protect.”

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