Lt. Thomas B. Jacocks, 84, is retiring.
Come late Wednesday, he will turn in his gun and close a career marked by tight standards, few words and sheer longevity.
Maryland Officer Retiring at 84
Jacocks has been on the Montgomery County (MD) Police force for 61 years, making him among the longest-serving officers at a major U.S. police department.
November 30, 2016
Lt. Thomas B. Jacocks of the Montgomery County (MD) PD is 84 and retiring. (Photo: Montgomery County PD)
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Jacocks has been on the Montgomery County (MD) Police force for 61 years, making him among the longest-serving officers at a major U.S. police department.
He started in 1955 when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president.
Jacocks joined the Montgomery County PD in 1955 when Eisenhower was in the White House. (Photo: Montgomery County PD)
His opening wage: $1.44 an hour. His equipment: A .38-caliber Colt revolver, ticket book and a marked Chevy with a siren switch on the floor.
“I can’t move as fast as I used to,” he told the Washington Post recently in his spartan office at police headquarters.
On the whiteboard behind him is a revised printout of his career highlights. Originally created in 2005 for his 50th anniversary, it extends another 11 tick marks to the right. “I updated your timeline for you,” a captain wrote above it.
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