Long-time Tecumseh officer stepping down to begin new job in Raisin Twp.

Tecumseh Police Department (TPD) Officer William (Bill) Warner will be retiring after 29 years of service to the Tecumseh community. However, his retirement will be short lived, as he starts a new career with the Raisin Township Police Department Monday. “My retirement lasts a day,” said Warner.Warner’s last day at Tecumseh Police Department was Saturday, Feb. 14. Warner, a Tecumseh native and Tecumseh High School graduate, recalled working for the city in his early teenage years for the city’s Park and Recreation Department as a T-ball coach and umpire. “I’ve been with the city for a long time,” Warner added, saying he also delivered newspapers in town while growing up. A career in law enforcement wasn’t the first thing he did upon entering the workforce, working for Ford Motor Company for ten years before becoming an officer. Warner graduated from the police academy in May 1985, spending a year-and-half as a part-time Clinton police officer before joining the Tecumseh department in December 1986. “It’s [being a police officer] something I’ve always wanted to do and I got kind of a late start doing it.” Warner said. “It was, basically, do it now, because I was getting older,” adding that he enjoys being out in the community and interacting with the public. While his career has been focused on law enforcement, he spent 17 years working for the Clinton Fire Department and has been a state licensed EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) since 1981. Since becoming a TPD officer, Warner has worked under four police chiefs, two interim chiefs and three city managers. He said the city has changed significantly over the years, with the town growing with new businesses.As an officer, Warner said the biggest change has been technology. “We never had computers in the car,” Warner continued. “We didn’t have the video system. Everything’s different now.”Even after almost 30 years at TPD, Warner said there are still things that surprise him. “You’d think I’d seen it all after all these years,” he added. Warner said one of the stranger situations he responded to was picking up a huge exotic snake about 12 feet long. “I don’t think they teach us in the police academy how to take care of snakes,” Warner said, adding the TPD does many things many departments won’t do. “I know we’re one of the few departments that still do lockouts [unlocking locked cars].”Warner added that the department is very community oriented and Tecumseh officers do many things many officers in other departments wouldn’t do. He said he was once called to an elderly lady’s house whose refrigerator door had fallen off. “I’m not an appliance repair man,” he said, saying he put the pins back in the door and put it back on for her. “There’s a lot of things we do here that larger departments don’t,” Warner said. While the snake may be one of the stranger calls Warner has been out on, there are cases that are more somber. He recalls early in his career being called to a home invasion, where he “Got there just in time to not be on time.”“There’s a case, I’m sure that happens with every officer, that you’re just a couple minutes too late and couldn’t make a difference, and it haunts me,” said Warner. While Warner is sad to leave, he is excited about working in Raisin Township.“It’s been a great career here and I’ve really enjoyed it,” said Warner. “There just comes a point in time where you move along. I’m kind of looking forward to the bigger area.” When current Tecumseh Police Chief Troy Stern joined the department in 1994, Stern said Warner was his first supervisor and that Warner had taken him under his wing. “I learned a lot from him,” said Stern. “Bill [Warner] has been a wonderful employee for us. Raisin Township is getting a tremendous officer. We wish him nothing but the best.” Raisin Township Police Chief Kevin Grayer said he’s excited to have Warner in his department. “We’re looking forward to getting him,” Grayer said. “I’ve known Bill [Warner] for a tremendously long time and we’re getting a really good officer. He’s great with people. Come Monday, he’ll be ready to go. He’s got a lot to give and he’s not ready to hang up the uniform just yet.”