Mierau Celebrates Many Years of Service [EDITORIAL]

In 1975, after volunteering with the Henderson Fire Dept. for several years, I was approached to work part-time with the Henderson Police Dept. I started working there and was soon putting in 30 hours a week. Then it turned into a full-time job, and I attended the Law Enforcement Training Center in Grand Island to be certified.

This job fit in with my volunteering with the Fire Dept., and I eventually became an EMT.  When taking this training, our original group was some of the first in the state.  The volunteering became a way of life for us. It meant a great deal of dedication, getting up in the middle of the night, and leaving family on holidays to go to a call.

This year, four of us that have over 40 years each of volunteering, adding up to about 170 years on the Dept., decided that since we joined about the same time, that we would retire at the same time. We did this in August of this year. Along with me was Frank Rollins, John Martens, and Keith Friesen.  As Frank says, it was a good run but its time for us to turn it over to others.

We would encourage others to get involved in the community by volunteering whether it be the Fire Dept., city recreation, church, school, or whatever you are interested in. I know the four of us are very proud of our years of service and the people we have helped along the way.

This fit very well with my job in the Police Department. We cannot function without the help of volunteers.

For me personally, it started with my father being a medic in WWII and then being a huge booster for Henderson.  He was on the Fire Dept. at one time and was one of the people pushing for us to get a Rescue Unit and send us to EMT training. Both my parents were always involved in volunteering and that’s the way I grew up.

This isn’t the end of my volunteering as I help with the baseball fields and hope to get more involved with the Heritage Park. My wife Deb and I are proud that our children are also volunteers in the community.

After spending the last 38 years on the Police Department, I have seen many calls coming my way. But even with these calls, I consider Henderson a very safe community.  We have people going on walks at midnight and feel safe.

As part of my job, I work with the York Sheriff’s Office, Crimestoppers, the Child Abuse Investigative Team along with the Sheriff’s Office, York Police Dept., HHS, and the County Attorney.  I have also been involved with RAP, a drug task force for over 20 years.  Being the only officer in Henderson is sometimes difficult as I work with people I have known all my life.  It is not always possible to have everybody happy at the end of a situation.

I’m deputized with the York Sheriff’s Office and get involved with calls at the interchange. A large number of people come through from the interstate and stop at the truck stop or motel.  I enjoy serving the citizens of Henderson as Chief of Police and hope to for many more years.

— Milan Mierau

Chief of Police