Perry Police Sergeant retires after 43 years

PERRY, Ga. — In June of 1978, Mike Hamsley began working for the Perry Police Department. Forty-three years later, after a bunch of memories and interesting stories, Hamsley decided to retire.

A party on Tuesday celebrated the sergeant’s notable career. Described by coworkers as having a heart of gold, Hamsley wore many hats for Perry PD but eventually will retire as a Terminal Agency Coordinator — collaborating with other agencies to communicate effectively and building a database to help law enforcement solve cases. Hamsley said it was a very rewarding career for him.

Speaking with The Journal, Hamsley reflected on his time at Perry PD and broke down why he stayed with the department for so long.

He had many interesting stories to tell, most notably, how he met his wife. According to a study by Stanford University, one in ten people find love while on the job, and Hamsley was no exception.

Hamsley’s wife, Kelly, is a retired caterer, and they have been married since 1980. He met his wife on patrol, stopping her father for a broken motorcycle taillight; at the time, he didn’t know that he had pulled over his future father-in-law. Mike and Kelly went on to have two children and two grandchildren.

Another notable story revealed a very rewarding part of the job for Hamsley: helping people turn their lives around. As a Seventh Day Adventist, being open about his faith and bringing people to the Lord has been a priority for him.

“The good Lord has been with me, and times I’ve got to witness for Him were very important,” Hamsley said. “[I’ve] met a lot of people that needed help, and they’re just people like we are. Even people that have done bad things, lets hope that they can correct that and move on.”

Years ago, one person he had the privilege of helping had broken into the courthouse and found a gun. Hamsley was working at the courthouse the night he met this individual, recalling that night as one of the closest times he had to pull a weapon, but he thanked the Lord that he did not have to use it.

“I saw [this individual] out at the jail, years later. He got up and hugged my neck. I pray for people like that, and am thankful that it worked out for him the way that it did.”

After working for so long, Hamsley is excited to spend more time with his wife and family. He revealed that his wife is a cancer survivor, celebrating four years being cancer-free, and he is overjoyed to spend more time with her along with visiting family in North Georgia.

Hamsley plans on staying in Perry, continuing to support the local law enforcement community, continuing his volunteer work at Friends of Perry Animal Shelter, and at home, he plans on gardening and working around the yard.

To Hamsley, the time he has spent at Perry PD has been a real privilege.

“[It has] been a privilege working for the city of Perry, but also the police department and all the people that I’ve had the privilege of working with and meeting, and there has been a lot of them. It’s been a blessing. I’m just thankful to the good Lord for it,” Hamsley said.

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