Port Police Chief Says Goodbye After 40-Year Journey

As alarm clocks go off throughout Port Washington for another week of the 9-to-5 grind, there’s one Port Washington resident who will be waking up to something out of the ordinary.

Police Chief Richard Thomas, who officially retired at the end of 2011, said he’s still trying to grasp at the concept that his career has ended after 40 years of waking up and strapping on a uniform and firearm.

"Finishing 40 years has been tough … it’s something I still have to come to terms with," he said, adding that this year will involve a lot of evaluating of what to do next. Despite difficulties with the transition, Thomas said he already looks forward to plenty of time spent with his wife and family and also traveling.

Thomas is retiring after 6½ years as Port Washington’s police chief. The new chief, Kevin Hingiss, started Jan. 1, . As part of the transition and restructuring of the department, Hingiss has promoted Lt. Mike Davel — who had members in his pursuit of the chief’s spot — to captain of operations.

“I really think that Davel and Hingiss will complement each other significantly and move the department ahead more," Thomas said.

Way back when

Thomas started his career in law enforcement with the Omro Police Department. Omro is a town located just west of Oshkosh.

After working as an officer for a year there, he moved to Cassville, a small town on the Mississippi River, and worked for the department there while attending school at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, pursuing a degree in criminal justice.

He then took an internship with the Beloit Police Department and was eventually hired as an officer. During the interview process with the Beloit department Thomas was asked: "If we offer you an opportunity to work here, will you stay more than five years?"

Thomas stayed 30 years, working through the ranks and eventually becoming the police chief of that department.

First Retirement Didn't Last Long

Thomas retired from the Beloit Police Department, but — after two years off the clock — he realized he missed the full-time commitment to law enforcement. That's when he saw the opening in Port Washington, applied for the job and was appointed chief on Aug. 29, 2005.

When he first took the job in Port, Thomas said his focus was more about restoring trust between law enforcement and the community after an unpleasant split with the department's former police chief, Edward Rudolph, Jr., who was spotted throwing a beer can out his car window, and ultimately resigned from his position.

A second goal was to fix the outdated equipment the department was working with — something Thomas said has been accomplished, as officers now have access to state-of-art technology.

Another thing Thomas did during his time with the was work to develop opportunity. Thomas was handed a department with a great group of people, he said, and he wanted to work on giving them opportunities for professional growth — something he has done through seminars, workshops and other educational opportunities.

Forty Years of Memories

It's probably an understatement to say that a 40-year career leaves one with an abundance of memories and experiences. That being said, Thomas can pick out a few specific periods in his career that stand out in his mind.

His most vivid and criminal memories come from his time with the Beloit Police Department, where he once worked on a case involving a woman who was sexually assaulted on the steps of a tavern — outside, in common view — by five different men.

In another instance, Thomas recalls chasing down a bank robber whom he spotted walking down the street with a bag as police arrived at the scene. He was able to chase him down the street, eventually tripping the robber for just enough time that other law enforcement could aid in the arrest.

At home that day, engaging with his kids in small talk about their days, he told them that he had, "caught a bank robber."

"Yeah, right," his kids' had said, as Thomas pushed on with a, "No, really, I did."

Thomas was also involved in the capture of Raymond Lee Stewart — a serial killer who had been striking both in Beloit as well as Rockford, IL.

That investigation started after a Radio Shack store owner and customer were killed during a robbery in Beloit, Thomas said. The victims were killed by bullets from two different guns, so police were having a hard time determining how many suspects to look for. During the investigation, Thomas said police realized that similar burglary-murders had taken place in Rockford.

It was a dry cleaning receipt for a company in Beloit found in a Rockford hotel room during the investigation that eventually lead police to make the connection to Stewart. Stewart was convicted in Wisconsin and sentenced to life in prison, Thomas said; he was also convicted in Illinois, recieving the death penalty and therefore evenutally being executed.

Looking Forward to Retirement

Thomas doesn't anticipate that he'll be back in a full-time law enforcement position again, as happened with his first retirement. Instead, as he tries to say goodbye to his official law enforcement career, he also looks forward to a life full of hobbies and time with family.

He hopes to do some fishing out on the waters of Lake Michigan, add to his exercise routine, travel to visit his children who live in different parts of the state and also the country and actually go deer hunting for the entire nine-day gun season. His job, he said, has only allowed him a weekend in the woods for the past 40 years.

"I have been humbled and honored to serve as your chief these past 6½ years," Thomas said during a farewell ceremony. "It has been a great journey and one that I will never forget and always be proud of."