C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley

CAPTION: Chillicothe Mayor Chuck Haney, right, presents Chillicothe Police Capt. Roy Akerson, center, with a proclamation declaring Oct. 20, 2009, as Captain Roy Akerson Day. Akerson, having joined the police department in 1983, retired earlier this month. A reception was held in his honor on Tuesday.

Chillicothe Police Capt. Roy Akerson has retired after having served 26 years with the department. A reception was held in his honor on Tuesday at the police station. Past and present law enforcement officers attended the reception as well as many city representatives and community members. During an informal ceremony, Police Chief Rick Knouse reflected on Akerson's time with the department and "the good ol' days." He said he hated to see Akerson leave the department but wished him well.

Akerson began his law enforcement career as a jailer/dispatcher working for Livingston County Sheriff Leland O'Dell for about three years before being hired as a patrolman for the police department in August 1983. Knouse, by then, had been with the police department a couple of years. Akerson was promoted to sergeant in 1990 and to the position of captain in 2001.

On behalf of the staff and officers of the Chillicothe Police Department, Knouse presented Akerson, an avid outdoor sportsman, with a Savage 22 caliber rifle. "You don't know how much it means to me to receive this from the people I work with," a humbled Akerson said. He went on to state that it was an honor to have served with the management, officers, and dispatchers within the department. "It was a pleasure to have worked with everyone," Akerson said. "Chillicothe has one of the most aggressive police departments in the state."

Also during the reception, Chillicothe City Administrator Dean Brookshier presented Akerson with a plaque in recognition of his dedicated service.

Akerson and his wife, Freda, have two daughters: Tonia Akerson, of Chillicothe; and Tammy Widner, of Gallatin, and four grandchildren. During his retirement, Akerson plans to spend much of his time hunting, fishing and trapping. After the first of the year, he plans to find part-time employment working with the public.