Detective Guy Blankenship had planned to retire from the Carthage Police Department the same way he came in, very quietly.

His co-workers wouldn't allow that, bringing in ice cream and cake on Monday to honor an officer who has worked for the department for 29 years and eight months.

Blankenship said he will take a month off before doing anything, and had planned to go camping this month at Stockton Lake.

"But they called me the other day and told me my reservations had been cancelled," Blankenship told his co-workers. "The campgrounds were under water."

"That's an inauspicious way to begin your retirement," responded Capt. Randee Kaiser.
Blankenship spent the lunch hour on his last day eating cake and ice cream and reminiscing about his career.

He said he recalled when he first started that officers didn't carry much in the way of equipment. Officers back then didn't carry some of the non-lethal options to subdue a suspect, such as mace or Tasers, and portable radios were valuable commodities.

"We had a gun, and extra rounds if you could afford them, handcuffs, and a wooden night stick," Blankenship said. "In the car, you had a radio, scanner and the siren. You checked out the portable radios as you came on duty and checked them back in as you finished your shift."

Blankenship said he remembered when then Capt. James England hired him as a patrol officer.

"I was dispatching for the sheriff's department at the time," Blankenship said. "I had tried to get on the PD for seven (city council) meetings in a row. One day Capt. England came up to me and said 'If you still want the job, you're hired.' They had hired me without even telling me."

Blankenship may be retiring from the police force, but he won't be leaving the police station for good.

At the June 24 council meeting, City Council members voted to create a part time information technology position to help with the city's and police department's computers.

While no one was hired for the position, Police Chief Greg Dagnan told the council he had Blankenship in mind for the position.

Dagnan said Blankenship can help the police department with its computers and be available to help other city departments as necessary.
The council approved a maximum pay for the position of $16,000.