Even after 37 years as a police officer, there is nothing like the thrill of the chase for Michael Bookser.
After a recent bank robbery, Bookser, 58, reveled in the adrenaline rush of running down someone wreaking havoc in Bellevue.
"I came home and my wife told me I looked all disheveled," he said, laughing. "I told her, 'You know what I did? I got to chase a bank robber today.' Imagine how great that feels to be 37 years on the job and still get to chase bank robbers. I think that's going to be hard to replace."
After leading the Bellevue police for 20 years, Bookser swapped guns for fishing rods last week as he retired from the force. Former Sgt. Matt Sentner took the reins from Bookser May 23.
"He took care of the department and cared about the borough. He lived here and worked here, so he took everything to heart," Sentner said. "He took on a lot of extra tasks. If there was a problem, he'd try to find a way to fix it."
Bookser grew up nearby in Brighton Heights before moving to Bellevue as a police officer in the 1970s. An Army veteran, he had considered a military career before settling on law enforcement.
With a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as completing the FBI National Academy, the former chief knows it takes a special person to be a civil servant.
"The job isn't difficult. It's challenging, and you learn it by doing it," Bookser said. "I've often said I don't know where we get the guys that do the jobs we ask them to do for the money we pay them."
Retirement will be a welcome break from the day-to-day life of a police officer. Bookser, who joined the force in 1971, previously worked as a desk clerk, patrolman, plainclothes detective and a lieutenant.
Every day brought something different in his job, from traffic stops to drug busts. While he loved his job, he said he won't miss the political side of things.
"The hardest part is dealing with the business side of it," he said. "You're receiving budgets from people who aren't people in this business."
As commander of District 29 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and "Surgeon" for the state Military Order of the Cootie, Bookser will have more time to devote to the support of veterans, particularly those who are hospitalized.
Last weekend, he kicked off his retirement by meeting with several old friends with whom he had served in Vietnam.
"I've always said these are people that are doing one of the most honorable jobs you can do in the United States by working in the military, police, fire and EMS," he said. "Getting to provide a service to the people and do a lot of things from catching the bad guys to aiding cases to taking care of a small problem for people, that's what's rewarding."
Bookser said he will miss the day-to-day work of his job during his retirement, which he plans to spend in Bellevue with his wife and two children, but he knows he has made a difference during his career.
"The best thing about the last 37 years has been serving these fine people," he said.
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