‘A lot of experience walking out the door’

Forty one years of law enforcement will come to an end as Sergeant Pat Henry clocks out for the final time 4 p.m. Wednesday after joining the Creston Police Department 30 years ago Oct. 1, 1990.

Henry said he is looking forward to not punching that clock as he continues working his side businesses of moving and tree and shrub trimming. He also hopes to spend more time with the model trains at the Restored Creston Depot, keeping the site open more often once the threat of COVID-19 passes. Seeing more of his 13 grandchildren is also at the top of his list of things to do.

From his first position in the Red Oak Police Department in 1979 at age 20 — not even old enough to purchase his own gun — to his final day on the Creston Police Department this Wednesday, Henry will be remembered as one who cared for his community, especially the children.

“He was very caring with the public,” Creston Police Chief Paul Ver Meer said.

Henry gives credit to Steve Robertson, his first training officer in Red Oak, for teaching him that the children matter. While training, Henry noticed that the children knew Robertson by name and interacted with him. Henry thought that was “cool” and decided that throughout his career, he would be involved with children through school programs such as bicycle safety and drug and stranger awareness presentations.

Bicycle safety has been a large part of Henry’s interactions with the local school children. For nearly all of his years as a Creston Police officer, he has helped in the public school teaching the first- and second-graders to ride safely and handing out helmets to the all of the first-graders. The Creston Police and Union County Sheriff’s office worked with the Creston Community High School FFA to put these programs on and obtain grants to pay for the helmets.

At Mayflower Heritage Christian School, Henry has helped with the bike-a-thon, both teaching safety and helping supervise the annual bike ride.

Union County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Maitlen said he worked with Henry on bicycle safety in the schools.

Red Ribbon week has been an opportunity for Henry to interact with children, as well.

“He always seemed to care about them ... the kids all love him when he comes in,” Sue Maitlen of Mayflower said.

Reenactments at the high school have given Henry an opportunity to work with older students as well as working with programs such as Students Against Drunk Driving and traveling with S.A.D.D. students to conferences in places such as San Diego, California.

“He’s been heavily involved with that. I think that’s what he really loved was being involved with the kids,” Maitlen said.

Support

Henry said as the national attitude towards police has changed in the country, he is proud that Union County and Iowa still support their officers. After the deaths of officers in Des Moines, Henry went to one of the funerals and was touched by the number of supporters lining the streets. He also said how much he appreciates the blue lights he has seen crop up all over town.

“I really appreciate that, cause I don’t sense that (hostility) in our town,” Henry said. “When you are driving the night shift and you’re kind of tired and kind of grouchy and you see those blue lights, you know that those people have those lights to support the police ... to me it means a lot.”

The difference he makes in the lives of others has made the difficult task of being a police officer worthwhile, Henry said. He recounted a story of a young man that he had arrested for drunk driving twice in a short time period. Some time later, the young man approached him at a restaurant and said that last arrest had been an awakening for him. He had quit drinking, went back to school and turned his life around.

“It’s all about trying to make a difference,” Henry said. “That’s kind of why I got into this business.”

He often says that mistakes are what make a difference in lives.

“Everybody makes mistakes,” Henry said. “If you learn from your mistake today, maybe your life will be different tomorrow.”

Faith

Henry compared his career in law enforcement to that of his brother Tim, who is a minister and a missionary.

I always thought being law enforcement was being a missionary,” Henry said. “Being able to help people and maybe being able to witness to them and a lot of times just talking to them about my faith or the mistakes they have made and the mistakes I have made.”

Chuck Spindler, pastor of Crest Baptist Church, said Henry has sent a lot of people his way over the years, before ending up a member of the church himself.

“Finally he said, ‘I’ve been telling all these people to come, why haven’t I come?’ So he and his family ended up joining our church,” Spindler said.

Spindler said Henry would often come to Sunday services in his uniform and sit in the lobby, just being a “presence” that created a sense of safety for the church-goers.

Henry has also served a member of the safety team at Crest and spoken to other churches about the need for security.

Final rides

Henry said as his career draws to a close, many of those who always said they would like to do a ride-along with him are stepping forward to actually do one.

“I’ve had more riders in the last couple of weeks than I’ve had for years,” he said.

Two of his daughters, Stacy Hartwig and Sarah Goering, had never ridden with him, but took the opportunity recently. His mentor, the first policeman he knew and his sergeant when he first joined the Creston PD — and the guy that helped him buy that first gun — Duane Osmun will be riding with him one more time. His final ride-along will be his wife Debbie. He said she deserves it after so many years of being a police officer’s wife.

“It’s tough to be the wife of a police officer,” he said. I” don’t know how many times she’d have supper ready and I’d stop home and just sit down to supper and have to leave ... The kids, often she’d get stuck having to take them around for things. She’s been pretty tolerant.”

Henry’s first mission, post law enforcement, is a trip to Indiana to celebrate daughter Stacy’s birthday. The family has booked a cabin and nearly all of the children and grandchildren will be there. Stephanie Kilmer and husband Ben with their three children, Stacy Hartwig and husband Ben with their five children, Sarah Goering, husband Darrell with their four children are planning to be there.

Son Steven, his wife Laura and their daughter will not be able to be there as he has just started a new job and cannot take the time off. Steven Henry recently retired medically from the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office after being shot in the line of duty. Pat Henry said he is sad that Steven’s time in law enforcement has ended, but with the current climate, he is glad that his son will be safer working in retail.

Ver Meer is among those who say Pat Henry will be missed as a law enforcement presence in Creston.

“He’ll be missed,” Ver Meer said. “That’s a lot of experience walking out the door there.”

“He is a fair man,” Spindler said. “He has the life experience and just the wisdom to know how to handle law enforcement issues.”

Henry said what he will miss most is the camaraderie with “the guys,” their stories and “good times.”

“You make a lot of friends,” Henry said. “I think camaraderie is really a cool thing with law enforcement. You’re like a big family.”

A retirement party will be held in honor of Sgt. Pat Henry 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the former DHS building, 304 N. Pine St., next to the Union County Law Enforcement Center.