After eight years on the front line in law enforcement, Boone County Sheriff Rodney Miller spent his last day on the job Monday reflecting back on his time in office.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” according to Miller who was Chief Deputy before he was elected Sheriff back in 2004. “When we hit the ground here eight years ago, we hit the ground running. We made lots of changes here in the Sheriff’s Office both in the tax and law enforcement [offices]. We tried to get where the deputies were able to be more efficient with their time, more particular with their work and probably raised the bar as far as standards and the way we expect them to operate.”
His biggest challenge he says wasn’t fighting the bad guys but rather fighting for a big enough budget to fund his department and keep the people of Boone County safe.
“If you have 100 deputies, there are times when you need 101. But having the adequate number of personnel is a desperate need for lots of areas, including Boone County,” said Miller.
Earlier this month, the department threw Miller a retirement party. He’s been with the force for 30-years. He says he wanted to be a police officer from the time he was little and he achieved his ultimate goal.
“I was able to live a dream,” said Miller.
As for his future, it lies in the classroom.
“Probably go into some substitute teaching. I’ve been active with folks through the years, coaching at the elementary, middle school and high school levels and maybe try to make a difference there,” according to Miller.
But Miller is no stranger to the classroom. He was the Boone County DARE officer for 15-years of his career and really enjoyed working with young people.
He joked on Monday he was ROD or retired on duty.
“Today is the last official day. Everything changes at the stroke of midnight. The new year brings in a new guy.”
That “new guy” will be Sheriff Randall White. He retired from the Boone County Sheriff’s Department last year.