The Knoxville Police Department will be losing one of their veteran officers on October 31, 2003. Richard Laurent will be retiring after 32 years of dedicated service. Laurent has served as a police officer and a burglary detective during his tenure and has many experiences to remember while enjoying his retirement.
His career began in 1971 as a young recruit in his early twenties. “There’s a big difference in the police force of today.” He said, “The equipment is much better, such as the radios and the cars. Back then you didn’t have your own car so you had to check it and make sure it would run when you started your shift.”
Officer Laurent said it is much harder these days to become a policeman. The training is more extensive and classes at the academy last much longer. There are many more rules and regulations. Nevertheless, when asked if he would do it all over again, without question or hesitation he said, “Yes I would.”
Laurent recalls many good times and the good people he met in his 32 years of service. “I never came in contact with anyone I didn’t, or couldn’t like.” When asked why he decided to join the force, he replied “I went in thinking I could make a difference.”
Officer Laurent reflects on one case when a man arrested by him was sentenced to 27 years for a drug charge. “After the trial the man shook my hand and gave me a hug,” says Laurent. “He understood I was just doing my job. I feel I made a difference in his case. He had no hard feelings and hopefully he will straighten out his life.”
He said the pressure of the job was never too much, but it was constant. He felt stress from the job and from home. It was not uncommon for him to be called out after midnight and be out all hours of the day and night. His wife of 18 years, Alma, said, “I will be glad that the dispatcher won’t be calling him out to work at midnight anymore.”
Mr. Laurent says he will be exploring a new frontier after retirement. He plans to do some yard work and maybe a little hunting and fishing. He will be able to spend some time with his wife and with their son, Joseph, who is a junior at Seymour High School.
He said he would miss the job and the people with whom he worked. But it will be nice to know that when the phone rings it will not be dispatch calling him out to work in the middle of the night.

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