Moses Lake police captain retires

Candice Boutilier/Columbia Basin HeraldMayor Ron Covey presented Capt. Jim Jenkins with a plaque honoring his service to the city Friday afternoon in Moses Lake. Jenkins is retiring after 26 years.

by Candice Boutilier<br>Herald Staff Writer
| May 19, 2008 9:00 PM

Moving closer to family in Spokane

MOSES LAKE - After 26 years, Capt. Jim Jenkins is retiring from the Moses Lake Police Department and plans to start a new adventure hosting foreign exchange students.

Moses Lake Police Chief Dean Mitchell held a small gathering in his office to thank Jenkins for his commitment to the department Friday afternoon.

Mayor Ron Covey presented Jenkins with a plaque featuring his date of employment and it stated "Duty with Honor." A badge is mounted at the top of the plaque.

Covey said if there is one thing people should know about Jenkins it is that he will be missed dearly by the community and the city.

Mitchell presented Jenkins with a mounted photograph of everyone who works in the department, a police badge and Jenkins' official police identification card.

"If he hasn't been your mentor, he should have been your mentor," Mitchell said.

Jenkins served as an advocate and a leader to the sergeants, he added. He is a role model officers can depend on.

Jenkins and his wife Chaya plan to move to Spokane to be closer to their family, especially their son.

Their son, Daniel, is attending Eastern Washington University later this year.

While in Spokane they plan to host foreign exchange students from Korea.

He said he's never hosted students before but looks forward to it.

"I love kids," Jenkins beamed.

He says his greatest achievement is his own son, Daniel.

"I got him through his childhood, teen years and he graduated with a respectable GPA," he said. "I'm proud of him."

Jenkins took a few moments to talk about good parts and the difficult parts of his career.

The most memorable part of his career was developing friendships with his fellow officers and citizens in the community, he said. It's also the part he will miss most when he leaves.

With his compassion for youth, one of the most difficult parts of his career was responding to injured children, he said.

"It doesn't matter how many you've (responded to) them," Jenkins said. "It's difficult to keep your emotions out of it."

Part of his duties included dispensing public awareness and education about various programs the police department sponsored or promoted. Jenkins said it was sometimes difficult getting the information out and helping people understand various programs.

He worked to educate the public about the photo enforcement cameras installed at the intersection of Valley Road and Stratford Road, various emphasis patrols and major criminal incidents.

"Jim (Jenkins) has always been there to help us keep the public informed," said Columbia Basin Herald Managing Editor Bill Stevenson. "He is a professional who always was up front and honest. We will miss him."

Friends, family, city officials and fellow officers attended to thank him for his service in the chief's office.