Great Falls police captain retires after 35 years

On May 12, Capt. Tim Shanks of the Great Falls Police Department celebrated 35 years of service.

On Friday, he celebrated his retirement with his police "family."

"I'll miss the camaraderie the most," he said.

Over the years, Shanks has patrolled the streets of Great Falls, worked cases as a detective and, most recently, oversaw the Support Services Bureau of the GFPD.

It's the side of the department most people don't know much about, he noted.

Support Services encompasses officer training, hiring and recruiting, animal control, the warrants and city court bailiff officer, the Great Falls Housing Authority Officer, the downtown BRIC officer, the volunteer program, the GFPD's community education efforts and other special projects. Shanks called his team "the best of the best."

"These guys will do what needs to be done and do it well," he said of the officers he supervised. "Our job is making sure things get done so the other guys don't have to worry about it."

Shanks also pointed out that Support Services is the fun bureau.

"We learned you can do your job and still have a lot of fun," he said.

Despite the captain's fun side, his nickname at the GFPD was "Grumpy."

"I don't know where the 'Grumpy' thing came from," he laughed.

Perhaps his gruff voice played a part.

"I was always told I sounded grumpy on the radio," Shanks recalled.

He was once reprimanded by a supervisor about it, and told to "sound happier."

Whether he sounds it or not, Shanks expressed happiness at the legacy he leaves behind at the department. He was instrumental in establishing a surreptitious visual observation, or Peeping Tom, law in the '90s. He worked with several police organizations to bring back 20-year retirement packages and will continue his service on the boards of such organizations, such as the Police Community Foundation.

Shanks was recruited with 12 other officers in 1980, the GFPD's largest recruitment class, he said. He came from the West Yellowstone Police Department with four years of experience. Members of that class have kept in touch, reaching out to one another every May 12.

Shanks is the last of the group to retire. He's also the last on the GFPD roster with a double-digit badge number, as the department does not reassign badge numbers. The most recently issued badge numbers are in the low 300s.

He acknowledges things are different for officers now, that calls are often more violent. Yet, Shanks noted bar fights in the '80s were nothing to laugh at.

The job carried dark moments, tough cases and long hours. Shanks said he once fell asleep at a minor league baseball game after an 80-hour work week as a detective. But his family always supported him, which he counts among his greatest blessings. Shanks said he plans to spend more time with his wife, his two grown children and his friends during retirement.

"I have a lot of things to do around the house," he added.

Shanks also plans to catch up with other retired cops at monthly lunches and travel to visit friends he made over the years.

"The city of Great Falls and the police department have treated me well for 35 years," he mused. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat, except I can't because I'm too old."

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Andrea Fisher-Nitschke at 791-6527 or anitschke@greatfallstribune.com

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