Chester Daily Local (Pennsylvania)
WEST CHESTER - Throughout more than 28 years of police work, Sgt. Mike Euler said he leaves with only one regret.
When a borough physician was shot in his office during a botched attempted robbery in February 1994, Euler was one of a number of local detectives put on a task force dedicated to finding the killers.
“I have no regrets throughout my career other than the fact that we could not solve that case,” he said last week, recalling the decade-old murder of Dr. Philip Kistler. “It´s very frustrating it has remained unsolved. But I´m optimistic someday, someone will have enough compassion to come forward and bring a little piece that would break the investigation wide open.”
Euler, 50, will officially leave the force of the West Chester Police Department at the end of the year. However, Wednesday was his last day on the streets supervising the patrol units.
The sergeant worked his way up the ranks since joining the borough´s police department only months after his graduation from West Chester State College in December 1975, where he earned a degree in criminal justice.
For nine years, Euler worked patrol before moving to the narcotics unit of the detective division where he worked for five years. He remained an investigator before being promoted to a corporal. He was promoted to sergeant in 1999, and went back onto the road as a supervisor.
Jim Magee, current director of the Chester County Bail Agency, worked at the police department with Euler for 25 years, before retiring in 2003.
“He was an ace criminal investigator and a smart street cop with a knack for being in the right place at the right time,” said Magee. “His professionalism was only matched by his compassion for victims.”
Euler said in his work as an officer, it was always important to treat people the way he wanted to be treated. He said he would tell the younger officers to remember their interactions with a person could be the first time that person had contact with a uniformed officer -- and that they´d never forget it.
“I always tried to be fair to people and reasonable about decisions that I´ve made,” he said. “It´s been an enjoyable career providing a safe and secure environment for people in this town.”
Euler never worked for any other police department during his time as a cop. He said he liked the city-like atmosphere West Chester had to offer.
“In this town, there´s always something happening,” he said.
Of all of his duties as a police officer, Euler said he most enjoyed the investigative work. After taking some time off for the holidays, he said he plans on working as a part-time private investigator in town for civil matters.
“No defense work, of course,” he quipped.
He also looks forward to spending more time with his wife, Donna, and children, twins Timmy and Chris, 23, Kelly, 18, and Ryan, 8.