Earlier this morning a calendar reminder greeted Carroll Police Officer Tony Konkler when he woke up. The message: Happy Retirement. Police Chief Brad Burke, who joined the force nine years ago, says Konkler’s retirement pursuit has been a bit like chasing Bigfoot, it’s always been elusive and he’s talked about it for years, but today it finally became official and they said goodbye to a great officer.
Konkler has worked with the Carroll Police Department for 28 years, spending a total of 42 years serving in law enforcement. After all that time he had lots of hands to shake during a come-and-go retirement party held in his honor Monday afternoon. In his long career Konkler has seen a lot of changes, one of the biggest: the integration of technology, which he says will never be able to replace an officer, but it does make their jobs easier.
On the flipside video technology has made things a bit more difficult, he says, as officers feel a greater pressure to do right by the citizens they serve. At Konkler’s retirement party, however, it was all congratulations and smiles which were recorded, along with a short message for those who couldn’t attend.
After Captain Mark Heino retires later this year, Chief Burke says it’ll be another decade or so before they’ll need to throw another retirement party. Photos from the event can be viewed at our Facebook page.
