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MEDFORD POLICE Police Chief Tim George ends his 38-year career in Medford Thursday Retiring Chief Tim George reflects on 38 years with MPD By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Dec. 30, 2015 @ 5:14 pm By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Dec. 30, 2015 @ 5:14 pm » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Medford police Chief Tim George will conclude his 38-year law enforcement career Thursday, leaving behind a legacy of collaborative service and a record for longevity. "No one's worked longer at the Medford Police Department," George said, because employees are eligible for retirement at 30 years. When George joined Medford's police force as a patrol officer, he was a recent graduate from Southern Oregon State College, and Medford had a population of 25,000. Both George and the city have grown since his hiring in August 1977. "MPD raised me," George said. As he looks back, he hopes not to be remembered for a specific accomplishment, but rather for his work ethic and daily contribution to the force. "It's not the one thing, it's the day-to-day work that you do," George said. Retired Pasadena police officer and former 16-year City Councilor Bob Strosser said George had a trustworthy, honest and direct approach. "He sought to continually make things better," Strosser said. "He continually sought to do more with less." During George's tenure, Medford's population tripled, which meant greater demands on the city's police force. The department eventually adopted code enforcement among other duties, as mandates from the state came in — some funded and others not. "After 5 o'clock, police officers become a lot of things," George said. "Who has daily touch with the homeless? It's us." George also leaves behind a legacy of clear and regular communication with the media and the public. "People tend to stonewall," Strosser said. "Tim never did that." "We'd better be open and transparent," George said, "because it's not cheap." George said most people typically call the police once or twice in their lives, so communicating officers' efforts to local media — and through social media — is a critical way for people to understand what police are doing. George said the police department's Facebook page, managed closely by Lt. Mike Budreau, has more than 20,000 followers. "The scope should get even wider," George said. "It's all about public trust." When George began his career as a patrol officer, he said, he envisioned two years in Medford before returning to Portland where he'd grown up. In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for Jackson County sheriff against Mike Winters. He recalls 16-hour days during the campaign, balancing fundraising and campaigning with full-time workdays as a police lieutenant. "The sour taste in your mouth from losing never leaves," George said. The experience gave his children an inside look at how elections work, and he said he gained a new appreciation for all who undergo the difficult and labor-intensive election process. Had he won that election, he wouldn't have become Medford's police chief in 2011, a job that suited him, he said, because of the numerous jobs he held in the department over his career, including patrol and traffic officer, detective assigned to narcotics and major crimes, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, patrol lieutenant, lieutenant of operations, and operations bureau chief overseeing patrol and investigations. "Getting beat probably humbled me a bit," George said. Methamphetamine was a little-known designer drug when George started. Now it's a fixture in Southern Oregon crime. "Whatever the call for service, we'll generally run into methamphetamine," George said. "It's so repetitive and so over the top." George said the drug used to be made locally, but it's been years since Medford has seen a meth lab. "The amount of importation is off the charts," George said. Although he sees reducing the flow of the drug at the borders as part of the solution to the drug problem, addiction treatment is key. "You've got to kill the demand," George said. George said his proudest achievement was graduating from the FBI National Academy in 1998. "It was the best training experience I ever had," George said. His favorite memory from that time was meeting an officer from Ireland, first at the gym, and later grabbing a meal with him as he listened to the officer's frustrations. Those complaints across the pond were eerily similar to frustrations local officers would vent. "He was complaining about dispatch," George said, laughing at the similarity. In retirement, George is hoping to spend more time with his ailing mother in Portland, and to be available to help his children. His son recently purchased a house in Beaverton, and his daughter recently finished optometry school. "We're looking forward to turning on the fun light a little bit," George said. Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Dec. 30, 2015 @ 5:14 pm » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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