A longtime employee with the Manitowoc Police Department is going to retire, effective this Friday, May 26th.
Detective Sergeant Mike Stone will be stepping away from the law enforcement profession after being hired in 1989, a little more than 34 years ago.
Stone explained some of the major changes since he started, specifically in technology.
“When I look at what was in the squads back when I started it was basically a radar unit and the police radio,” he reminisced while on WOMT’s Be My Guest show. “Now, they have computers in the car, cellphones in the car now along with police radios.”
Even with investigations, Stone says, “back when I started they didn’t have cellphones. And now cellphones are a pretty integral part of our investigations, social media, and video. That’s another thing we didn’t have in the city at the time which is video surveillance.”
Sergeant Stone added, “I still believe in the old school philosophy of getting out and talking to people, because I think that’s what solves crime.”
Police Chief Nick Reimer said he attributes a lot of his success to Mike Stone.
“(He) was probably the best police or patrol officer out there that I was ever involved with,” Chief Reimer said. “Working the third shift and really making it enjoyable as well. And if you go out there and just love what you’re doing it makes things so much easier. I just remember whether I had off or coming to work, Mike made it a lot of fun.”
Detective Sergeant Stone’s replacement in police administration will be current Detective Erik Kowalski.
