‘A wonderful career’

After 24 years of law enforcement service, Galen Heinle got to thinking about the future.
“It took me a lot of time to think about what I want to do,” the Dodge County Sheriff’s deputy said. “Do I want to retire? I love my job, but my mind and body says it’s time to hang it up and enjoy retirement.”
Heinle, 62, was the subject of a retirement party on Jan. 26, his last day on the job. He accepted a plaque as appreciation from Sheriff Scott Rose and spoke about his long career during the event, which drew a large crowd at the County Government Services building.
He was director of maintenance at the county-operated Fairview Care Center in Dodge Center from 1990-2014, and served with the Claremont Police Department from 1990-1994 before joining the Dodge County Sheriff’s office.
He was a court security deputy from 2015 until his retirement.
“Working nights was always enjoyable,” Heinle said. “The last few years I was working days. Before, I would never get to see the Sheriff and everything. But this time, working as a bailiff I got to see everybody during the day and I worked with other departments and such. Everybody was just great to work with.”
“Had a wonderful career. Loved every minute of it,” he said. “A lot of good things and some bad things. I’d never change it. I just had great people I worked with.”
Rose said Heinle was reliable and dealt well with others.
“Always positive, always upbeat. A smile that lights up the room,” Rose said. “Just a genuinely great guy. We’ll really miss him. He just does a great job.”
Heinle said he’ll miss working with fellow officers.
His immediate plans for retirement: “Nothing. As little as possible. I don’t know. Just do some odds and ends, a ‘honey do’ list, and kind of go from there.”
Rose said several part-time deputies have been cross-trained in court security. They will fill Heinle’s position until the county decides how it wishes to permanently fill the spot.