VIDEO–Attica Police Chief Dean Hendershott is officially out of service, retiring today after 36 years of serving the Attica community. He was recognized by fellow law enforcement from around the area during his walk out ceremony on Friday at noon.
When we caught up with Chief Dean Hendershott about 11:30AM today, he was just packing the last few boxes into his vehicle after cleaning out his office.
Hendershott has served the Village of Attica Police Department since 1990 and has been Chief since 2014. He says he was planning to retire at 20 years into the job, but the police chief position suddenly became vacant and he was called to duty.
“My intent was I was going to retire, and then this dropped in my lap, so and I stayed on, and, I mean, enjoyed it. It was pretty cool being the boss. And then I finally made the decision that, you know, when the time is right,” says Hendershott.
The department consists of five full time officers and eight-to-nine-part time officers. Hendershott says community policing is key.
“We know our neighbors, and that’s the best part of it. Nice small town like this, you work with people, and that’s that. And I’m not saying, well, if you do the crime, you got to do the time, but you understand the background and the circumstances behind everything, because you know the history, And then officer discretion comes into play, and then you can go, what’s best for the community and the best for that person? And that’s the best part, is working for a small department.”
Chief Hendershot with Holly Royce, who is the Officer in Charge beginning today.
The Chief’s advice for his officers?
“Get to know your people, get to know your neighbors, get to know the people in the community, and the more you know about them that the easier job is going to be. You got to work with the community. Community policing is a huge thing. It’s one thing I promoted ever since, from when I was patrolman to becoming Chief. That’s the biggest part of having a small department in in the small communities. Sometimes, a lot of times, its long hours, it’s stuff you don’t want to do, but you got to do it. So, it’s all being part of public service.”
Hendershott will return to Attica PD as an administrator on Tuesday to assist Holly Royce, who is the Officer in Charge, as the department is in a transitional period deciding between two remaining candidates for the position of Police Chief.
Chief Hendershott with his family, some of whom surprised him today, traveling from Illinois and Wisconsin for his final send off from the department.
“When we heard that he was gonna retire, and then we finally got an actual date, I called Amanda, my daughter, Jeffrey, my son and my husband Bill, and I said, I’m going, do you guys want to go? And so, we’ve had this planned ever since we heard what the day was going to be. We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” says Dot Dustin, Chief Hendershott’s sister (standing to the right of Hendershott).