News Editor

Capt. Benny Jinright, who has served on the Troy Police Department for 34 years, said he is looking forward to retiring and doing some of the things his job hasn’t afforded him to do.

"The only thing hard about my decision to retire is leaving the other employees here," Jinright said. "They are like family to me."

When Jinright first went to work with the department in 1968, there were only three marked police cars and one walkie talkie. He said the department was housed in three "very small" rooms.

Jinright said he worked longer hours in those early days as well-12-hour shifts, six days a week. During his years with the force he has worked as a regular patrolman, a motorcycle officer and a detective. Now a captain overseeing staff services, he said the officers also ran the ambulance service back when he first joined the force. Calls to the police department had to go through three dispatchers.

Jinright said he has seen a lot of changes in the department since those early years and has seen a lot of people come and go. "I’ve experienced so much during my years here," he said. "I’ve probably experienced more in the past 34 years than someone who isn’t a police officer would have experienced."

Jinright said things have really gotten better in the last decade for the department. He said technology has done wonders-mainly computers.

The improvements that technology has brought, said Jinright, have certainly been needed ones because of the increase in crime. He said the dispatchers used to keep daily logs on a legal pad and would average only about five calls per shift. In 2000, dispatchers handled 31,000 calls for service.

Jinright will be honored on Wednesday, Jan. 30 with a retirement reception at The Pines restaurant. His friends, family and colleagues will give him a grand send-off.

After his retirement, Jinright said he plans to spend more time with his wife and catching up on some of the gardening and landscaping work around his home. He said he will also put a lot of time into his antique business.