Clarkdale Police Department Police Chief Pat Haynie told town officials he plans to retire Thursday, June 30, ending nearly 25 years of service to the town he loves, Town Manager Gayle Mabery announced.
“For the past [24½] years, I have worked for the town of Clarkdale Police Department. The past eight years I have had the privilege of being the chief of police. While I have not taken the position lightly, I have tried to approach it with humility,” Haynie wrote in his resignation letter.
In order for him to focus on healing from the aneurysm and its residual effects, Haynie stated he needed to retire, Mabery said.
During an interview in March, Haynie said he was thinking more seriously about retirement due to lingering affects of the brain aneurysm that almost took his life in June 2010. He underwent intensive rehabilitation for a little more than four months before returning to his duties in November.
Haynie said the residual effects of the burst blood vessel included short term memory loss that sometimes caused him to forget what he was doing within minutes, especially when working around his house.
At Clarkdale police headquarters, however, the story is different, Haynie said. Comfortable in the place he spends the majority of his time, the chief said he always feels more at home when he is working. His injury seems to cause fewer problems when he’s in uniform, he said.
After returning to the force, Haynie trained and became certified again in emergency response driving. He trained with Jerome Police Department Police Chief Alan Muma to master the way he handles his service pistol, actually improving his marksmanship from before the surgery.
Haynie said in March he takes more notes to remind himself of the conversations he has and the decisions he makes. He faces years of continued rehabilitation and understands he may never be the same as before, he said.
“Pat [Haynie] has been a dedicated servant to the citizens of Clarkdale for 24.5 years, and has the longest tenure of any staff member in the Town of Clarkdale,” Mabery stated in a press release. “During his years as police chief, Pat [Haynie] always focused on the community as a partner in law enforcement.”
“In our organization, Pat [Haynie] is emblematic of how the people that you work with become your extended family,” Mabery stated. “Although we’ll miss him terribly, we fully support his need to focus on a full restoration of his health and know that he’ll have an active and fulfilling retirement.”
“For a man who spent many an hour fingerprinting others, it seems fitting to note that Pat Haynie’s fingerprints will be left on the town of Clarkdale for many years to come,” Mabery wrote.
Clarkdale plans to contract with a law enforcement professional from outside the department to serve as interim chief after Haynie leaves in June. One of the terms of the contract will prevent the interim chief from becoming a candidate for the permanent chief’s position, Mabery stated.
The town is currently recruiting an interim chief to serve about six months until a permanent replacement is identified.
