Elgin police veteran retires after 28 years

Police Lt. Mike Turner is saying goodbye after nearly three decades with the Elgin Police Department.

Turner, 56, retired from the department on Friday, but says he isn't closing the book on his career.

"I'll play golf and watch the Cubs," he said. "And seek gainful employment. It's time to change horses."

Turner began his career in 1976 with the South Elgin Police Department.

He landed a job in Elgin three years later, and has been there ever since.

Although he's moving on, Turner says he'll miss the relationships he's built up in his time in Elgin.

"I've built up 28 years of friendships," he said. "I'm going to miss the people.

"At the same time, I'm definitely excited about the different challenges in life I'm going to face," Turner said. "I'm not going to be sitting on the front porch with a glass of iced tea. I've got to get busy."

Turner certainly stayed active while in Elgin.

At one time or another, he served in more than half a dozen different capacities, including senior patrol officer, SWAT member, patrol sergeant and lieutenant in major investigations.

There were just a lot of different things," Turner said. "Some tragic, some humorous, but it was never a dull moment. You could be having a cup of coffee one minute, and the next minute you're going to a disaster of some kind."

Turner earned a lot of recognition along the way, from distinguished service commendations and chief's appreciation awards to a police officer of the year award from the American Legion.

But he is quick to deflect credit.

The cases he remembers the most -- such as the man arrested in Texas 20 years after he murdered his sister -- stand out because of the collective work of the police department, not anything he did, Turner said.

"I will miss the dedication and courage of the men and women that serve the Elgin Police Department," he said. "They are able to step up to the plate every day and handle anything that comes their way."