Long-time Longview Police Chief retires, accepts job at Tyler Junior College

LONGVIEW, Tyler (KETK) – The long-time Longview Police Chief will retire at the end of January and will be a full-time criminal justice teacher at Tyler Junior College.

Longview Police Department’s Chief Mike Bishop said the end of his 32-year career with the department is bittersweet.

Bishop will clock out for the last time on Jan. 31. Until then, he plans to enjoy every moment he has with his team. It’s the end of an era for the city of Longview.

“I’ve announced my retirement from the police department, effective Jan. 31,” said Bishop.

One of the hardest things about transitioning into retirement is getting used to not putting on his uniform in the morning, according to the chief.

“You know, 32 years seems like a long time but it seems like yesterday,” said Bishop.

He credits his staff for being selfless and understanding throughout the years making his time as chief that much sweeter.

“A lot of times we have to ask them to do extra things to go above and beyond. My experience has been, whenever we’ve asked our officers to do that, they’ve stepped up and answered the call and took care of what we needed to be taken care of,” said Bishop.

Bishop also wants to send a special thank you to the people of Longview for allowing him to serve them. He is also grateful to his wife and children for his success.

“You know I couldn’t have been able to do the things I’ve done here in the last 32 years if I didn’t have their support as well, they’ve sacrificed a lot for me to be able to pursue my goals here, the police department I just want to thank them and the community as well,” said Bishop.

But, he isn’t giving up on service. He has accepted a full-time position as a criminal justice teacher at Tyler Junior College.