Editor’s note: This essay is part of “Stories from the Street,” a Police1 series featuring first-person reflections from officers across the country. These essays are about the lived experiences and moments that changed how officers think, lead and serve. If you have a story to share, we’d love to hear from you. Submit your story here.
Four days.
After a midnight shift tonight, I will have just two shifts left with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
Almost 29 years came and went — a lifetime compressed into calls, faces, places and moments that shaped who I am. There are memories and milestones that make me proud beyond words. There are others that still sit heavy, lessons learned the hard way. Calls I will never forget and some I wish I could.
That is the job. That is the price.
It is bitter and it is sweet all at once.
No pipes. No drums. Just silence. And an exit from a career that was most of my life.
I finally understand what the sound of silence really is.
So many emotions tangled together. Thoughts racing, replaying chapters I didn’t even know I stored away. Pride. Loss. Gratitude. Relief. A quiet ache. A deep respect for what was and what it took.
I can say this without hesitation. It’s been one hell of a wild ride. A true roller coaster of emotion coming to its final stop. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
It has been nothing short of an honor to serve this department and the communities we protect. I gave it everything I had. And it gave me a life, a purpose, and a brotherhood I’ll carry forever.
The uniform comes off soon. What it built never will.
Sgt.B.Jones #413 out !!!
About the author
Sergeant Brian L .Jones is a detective, patrolman, diver and patrol supervisor for the Lake County Sheriff’s Department in Indiana.
