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Hancock celebrates Lt. Jerry Hiltunen’s retirement Friday

Daily Mining Gazette/Kali Katerbergl Lt. Jerry Hiltunen poses with his retirement cake at a Friday celebration at the Hancock Fire Department.

HANCOCK — After 34 years of service in the community, Hancock’s Lt. Jerry Hiltunen is hanging up his badge.

The Lieutenant has served as a City of Hancock Police Officer the entirety of his career starting June 29, 1984, moving up through the ranks.

“You get to know people, you get to know the families,” he said.

Hiltunen said he’ll be staying in the area and maybe start volunteering.

“This is home,” he said. “I like the season changes. I don’t want one season year-round like Florida, it’s too hot for me. I’m a hooper through and through.”

The Twin Lakes native said he’ll miss working with the other officers who have become his second family.

“I work a ten-hour schedule so I spend 10 hours a day with these guys five days a week,” he explained.

Hiltunen decided he wanted to become a police officer all the way back in high school when a state trooper spoke to his class.

“Then and there I knew that was what I wanted to do,” he said.

The decision to retire was partially driven by new developments in technology and social media, things that didn’t exist for most of his career.

“The way technology has progressed it’s kind of passed me by, I’m not up on Facebook and all that social media,” he said. “The newer guys are familiar so it’s time for me to step aside and let them work that angle of the job.”

The graduation celebration was well attended, with friends, family and community members stopping by to wish Hiltunen well.

“Jerry gave the city 34 years of his professional life and that’s a long run and a long commitment,” said City Manager Glenn Anderson who was in attendance. “…We appreciate his service to the citizens of Hancock and he was also a pleasure to work with.”

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