Between Them, The Brewers Have Nearly 60 Years Of Police Work
By Cheris Hodges, News & Record (Greensboro, NC)
About 30 years ago, Jeff and Rick Brewer decided to become police officers together.
Friday, they did something else together. They retired.
“We started together, and we decided to leave together,” Jeff said. “Jeff started rookie school and told me about it,” Rick said. He decided being a police officer was something that he would like to do. So he joined up with his brother at the police academy, and when they graduated, they started their law enforcement careers at the High Point Police Department.
Jeff ends his tour of duty with the department as a reserve police officer. Rick is retiring as a lieutenant.
Neither Rick nor Jeff is going into typical retirement. Rick starts a new job as a private investigator for Caribbean Airlines in January.
He said his new job will give him a chance to travel the 50 states and Puerto Rico.
“I love to travel, and I’m just going to enjoy myself,” Rick said.
Jeff, who is retiring from the department because of health problems, will continue to work at his full-time job with Capital Outdoor, an advertising company.
Jeff left the High Point Police Department as a sworn officer in 1977. From there, he spent 10 years with the Archdale Police Department before starting his current job. In the ‘80s he returned to High Point as a reserve officer.
“You miss (police work). Either you like it or you don’t,” he said about his decision to become a reserve officer.
Back problems, he said, pushed him into retirement.
The department honored the men with a luncheon and retirement ceremony that was filled with laughter and hugs.
Another Brewer brother (this one not a police officer), Mark, shared the “lessons” his brothers learned during their tenures at the department.
“Rick thinks that there are four important rules to be a police officer: knowing where the nearest Krispy Kreme store is located; knowing the price for one doughnut; knowing the price for one dozen doughnuts; and no more than four police cars at Krispy Kreme at one time,” he said, evoking laughs from the crowded training room.
“I want him out of here,” Rick said jokingly.
Not to leave his other brother out, Mark teased Jeff about what it takes to be a leader among his fellow officers.
"(Knowing) what days Krispy Kreme has a special, how many can you mix and match, at what age are you considered a senior citizen and including all police officers, which officer can eat the most doughnuts,” he said.