JACKSONVILLE — An officer believed to be one of the longest-serving in the country has retired after 68 years on the force, The Daily News reported.
James “XY” Brown is a U.S. Army World War II veteran. He joined the Jacksonville Police Department in 1971 as a full-time officer after years of volunteering, and served in that role until 1985.
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Since then, Brown has performed house checks for residents on vacation along with other part-time duties, according to the report. The role for which the community knows him best, however, is his longstanding service as a school crossing guard.
“He didn’t just direct traffic, he directed childhood,” Jacksonville Councilman Michael Yaniero, former police chief and director of public safety, told the Daily News. “He greeted the students by name, he noticed when they were having a tough morning, he celebrated their victories, encouraged their dreams and made sure they knew that someone was looking out for them.”
Officials honored Brown’s service at a Dec. 4 ceremony, remembering his love for the students and his scoldings of drivers (known as “timeouts”) who went through his crosswalk too quickly. Brown was unable to attend the ceremony, but viewed it via livestream.
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“It just amazed me how much energy he had,” Yaniero said. “He was there in the mornings, he was there in the afternoons, he did more than just a crossing guard. He was everywhere, he knew everybody in this community, and he is a great American hero.”
Brown’s 68 years of service is remarkable — and it made us wonder: Who else in the nation has served this long?
If your agency has an officer with extraordinary longevity, let us know below:
