About a dozen Juneau police officers packed City Hall Assembly Chambers Monday night for the start of the first assembly meeting of 2014.
They weren’t there to arrest anyone or quell a riot, but rather to celebrate the career of longtime Juneau Police Department mechanic Scott Phillips, who just retired after 30 years with the city.
Police Chief Bryce Johnson said Phillips started with the Public Works Department in 1984, and joined JPD’s auto shop 10 years later.
“By my count that’s seven police chiefs since you started,” Johnson said.
Every time JPD bought new vehicles, Johnson said Phillips was responsible for maintaining them and keeping officers safe behind the wheel.
“We went from Dodges to Chevys to Fords, am I missing any of them?” Johnson laughed. “We got all those. And then all the unmarked cars, probably a Toyota or two. But he would have to re-learn how to maintain each car each time we would change cars, and he maintained all those cars for a tremendous amount of time.”
Mayor Merrill Sanford presented Phillips with a certificate of appreciation.
Phillips said he doesn’t have big plans for retirement, just spending more time with family.
