Document text
Police department loses three Two humans, one dog retire from force By JESSICA SMITH His first day on the job, Tom Lavine patrolled the streets of Medford with a watchful eye and a nervous trigger finger. The then 23-year-old had never actually held a gun. "I was alone in a patrol car with a gun. I was scared, and I didn't know what I was doing," said Lavine, who is leaving the Medford Police Department. But after 31 years of service, Lavine has held nearly every post at the department and even helped train new recruits. On Thursday, the city said goodbye to Lavine, officer Mike Taylor and Taylor's police dog, Loey, during a ceremony at the Medford City Council meeting. "A lot of people when they retire are just waiting at the back door, ready to run. But that was not the case for me," Lavine said during a separate interview. He joined the force in 1968, making the 54-year-old the longest-serving public employee in Medford. "(Lavine) leaves a huge hole to fill. That's a lot of knowledge and skill that walked out that door," said Lt. Tim George. Lavine said he plans to drive his BMW motorcycle and keep working at one of his favorite hobbies, photography. Taylor and Loey left the department Wednesday. Taylor, 50, and 7-year-old Loey worked together to make 27 arrests and assisted in 18 others during their three-year partnership at the MPD. "They were really dedicated and they spent a lot of time training, even during their time off," said Sgt. Tom McCleary, who supervised Taylor and Loey. "They were well-liked and respected." Taylor said he plans to move to a small ranch he owns in Oklahoma to be closer to his children, who attend college in the Midwest. "This is a very good department and they have a tremendous amount of community support," said Taylor, who worked as a patrol officer for 13 years. "I've had a great career here." Loey, a Dutch Malinois, was retired from the department due to back problems that stem from a spinal injury in a 1998 training exercise. His stamina and performance have since deteriorated. Taylor agreed to take Loey off the department's hands, since the cost of repairing Loey's back and training a new handler would be more than buying a new dog. "He's like my partner. He's family and we're very close," Taylor said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA