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During a retirement cer- emony last month, mem- bers of a diverse audience stepped up to the podium to express appreciation and gratitude to a local police officer for nearly 20 years of service. The ceremony was host - ed by the Siloam Springs Police Department in honor of Capt. Bryan Aus- tin, who began working as a police officer in March 1999. Austin is a husband and father of five, and was born in Fayetteville and raised in Decatur. He moved to Siloam Springs in 1996 and initially start - ed work as a dispatcher, which is something that spurred his interest in becoming a police officer. "I really enjoyed that job, I felt good about myself every day, mainly because you know you are helping somebody and providing them a service and a need," Austin said. "So I thought 'well man, if dispatching is this good, I could not imagine what it would be like to be a cop.'" After being hired as a patrol officer, Austin spent a lot of time in dif - ferent areas of the com- munity, he said. Whether this meant doing things such as stopping at the elementary school to visit with some of the kids dur- ing recess, or going by the high school for a game of touch football, these were moments he said he will continue to hold dear. While that aspect of the the job was good, it did not take long to learn that the life of a police officer is not always positive in every case one encoun - ters, Austin said. But, if he put forth the effort, Austin said that he could still find ways to make things at least more comfortable for those involved. "Whether it is consoling them or talking to them or just having someone there for them to talk to and lean on during that moment, you know there is sometimes that you can help them with that," Austin said. "So those were some good times also, even though it may have been a tragic situa - tion, it seemed like doing those things helped them through their situation." Shortly after it was founded in 2003, Austin joined the Siloam Springs Fraternal Order of Police, an organization com - prised of law enforcement officers whose primary focus is supporting mem- bers of the community through charitable means or sponsoring fundraising events. Over the last fif- teen years, the organiza- tion in Siloam Springs has given away $47,000 worth of gifts to children and their families, and that is just awesome to be able to say, Austin said. Not long after it was founded, Austin recalled an instance in which a house fire that took place in Siloam Springs completely destroyed the home and most belong - ings of the family that lived there. The way in which the officers that responded to the situa- tion, however, serves as an ideal example of what the Siloam Springs Frater- nal Order of Police repre- sents, Austin said. "Clothes were gathered, shoes were gathered, ho- tels were contacted and checks were written to make sure that everybody was taken care of for a short period of time, but again, it gave that family some mental rest so they could collect themselves," Austin said. "I am just giving one example over a span of time, but there are countless other ex - amples." Among the officers who worked with Austin when he began working in dispatch is Capt. Derek Spicer. Austin was hired as a patrol officer about six months before Spicer, but they still ended up work - ing together during the same shift for a large part of his career in various capacities, ranging from patrolling the streets, to narcotics to the criminal division, Spicer said. As for Austin's retirement, Spicer said that he is dis - heartened but optimistic. "We executed several search warrants together and we made lots of ar- rests," Spicer said. "He was fun to work with, a hard worker and a great storyteller. I hate to see him go. He was a vital part of the police department. He left a large gap that is going to be difficult to fill. "He left a positive legacy in the department. He was involved in the hiring of several officers we have here now. He made rec - ommendations for people that turned out to be great officers for us, so his legacy will live on." Another friend and fel- low officer of Austin is Capt. Scott Miller, who worked with Austin for 18 years. The most signifi- cant thing about Austin's career is simply the inspi- rational impact that he has on the people around him because of both his strong commitment to the community and dedica- tion to the work that he does, Miller said. Although these are things that caused him and a number of others to look up to Austin, there are also more specific aspects of Austin's career that will be things to re - member when people look back on it, Miller said. When Austin joined the department, the po- lice department lacked specialized departments, but after being promoted to the rank of sergeant, he became instrumental in the creation of the first Crime Suppression Unit for Siloam Springs, which later evolved into the Nar - cotics Unit. The development of this department was crucial, as it resulted in the oc- currence of drug-related seizures such as one that happened in 2005, in which Austin helped lead an investigation that led to the arrests of eleven people, the recovery of more than a lb. of meth - amphetamine, the con- fiscation of over $36,000, in addition to seven ve- hicles, Miller said. Austin also was involved in the implementation of significant changes to the communications department that evolved it in ways that were nec - essary at the time, and he played a key role in the improving the city's weather warning and alert systems. "Bryan has an unwaver- ing commitment to the community and he never backs down from a chal- lenge," Miller said. "He was a very strong pres- ence and it is going to be very hard to replace him. I guess to summarize, his legacy is just going to be that solid leadership that he leaves behind and his willingness to pass that along to me as well as oth - ers in the department." As for post-retirement plans, Austin said he will be doing a good amount of traveling with his wife, father and other family members. He will also be working on his farm and trying to catch up on time spent with both his children and members of his extended family that he said he feels he has missed out on to some extent over the course of his career. Proud Milestones Wednesday, June 27, 2018 n 5D Siloam Springs Herald-Leader State Line Rd. & Jeff erson St. West Siloam Springs 918-422-5138 4 Decades of Serving NE Oklahoma & Surrounding Area Our facility has services available to meet all of your health care needs. We off er: - Short Term Rehabilitation - Long Term Care - 24 Hour Nursing - Full Time erapy (PT, OT, ST) - Wound Care - Dementia/Alzheimer Unit. 1134 Hwy 412 West • Siloam Spring, AR • 479-524-5800 WE SERVE Austin leaves legacy through job he 'really enjoyed' n Beloved local police officer retires after 19 years of service. By Hunter McFerrin Staff Writer n hmcferrin@nwadg.com Photos by Hunter McFerrin/Herald-Leader City Administrator Phillip Patterson, left, commends the achievements of Capt. Bryan Austin, right, during Austin's retire- ment ceremony, which took place at the Community Building on May 31. W hether it is consoling them or talking to them or just having someone there for them to talk to and lean on during that moment, you know there is sometimes that you can help them with that. So those were some good times also, even though it may have been a tragic situation, it seemed like doing those things helped them through their situation. Capt. Bryan Austin Retiring SSPD officer