CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - Terry Vincent remembers ringing doorbells in that cheap, little plastic vest. He remembers proudly displaying his shiny tin badge, the one shaped like a star, the one that said he was a police officer, asking for candy in his favorite Halloween costume.
Vincent remembers pedaling fast on his tricycle. He remembers trying to catch his friends, the thieves, the bad guys, in one of his favorite childhood games, always the cop in cops and robbers.
On Aug. 1, 1988, the boy who dreamed of being a police officer earned a real badge and an expensive vest. He became Wyoming Highway Patrolman Vincent. Then Trooper Vincent. Then Lt. Vincent.
And then on Sept. 5, after serving 26 years, the 53-year-old called it a career.
“It’s a significant loss for us, to lose somebody with that much experience,” said Trooper Doug Beran, who worked with Vincent for five years after a 20-year career with the Casper Police Department. “Law enforcement isn’t a job you can just train for. A lot of it is experience-based, on the job.”
Vincent spent 19 years as a patrolman and trooper, then seven years as a lieutenant, where he led the patrol’s Natrona County division. He served his entire career in Casper, aside from a spell in Sundance from 2007 to 2010.
He was a custody and control instructor, teaching other troopers self-defense tactics. At times, he would walk into the squad room and tell the troopers he needed to experiment with a new defensive move.
“Guys would scatter,” said Trooper Bill Kirkman, who worked with Vincent for 17 years.
Vincent also served on the special services squad and was one of the best_at pranking.
“There are so many unsolved pranks that this guy did, and you would never know that he did it,” Kirkman said. “You didn’t want to leave your equipment, your food or your car unsecured with him around, or something would happen.”
One time Kirkman needed gloves, so he asked to borrow a pair from Vincent.
“And at the end of the day, my hands were stained black for two or three days,” Kirkman said. “Which begs the next question, how did he know I would need a pair of gloves?”
But Vincent was respected. He never lost his cool, nor raised his voice. A handshake from him meant more than anything you could hang on your wall, Kirkman said.
After 26 years of serving, Vincent accomplished what few can say they’ve done. He dreamed up a career, and did it.
“Right now, it feels like a big relief, because I don’t have to worry about phone calls,” Vincent said. “The biggest (adjustment) is missing the cellphone. I had to carry a cellphone 24/7.”
No more calls in the middle of the night. No more constant ringing. With his newfound free time, Vincent will pursue his next passion, woodworking.
He will miss the troopers, the friends who provided a lot of laughter day in and day out. He will miss rising to the occasion, assisting fellow troopers in times of trouble, and will miss being in the loop.
But Vincent was quick to dismiss any possibility that he may feel an itch down the road to return to the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
“Oh, no,” he said. “I’m going to be a carpenter from here on out. I’ve done my duty. (I’m going to) kick back and relax, and enjoy life_without a cellphone.”
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, https://www.trib.com
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