Brandon Twp.-Jimmy Jones carries a permanent souvenir from his first day on the job as a township deputy.
Lead shot. In his head.
A decade has passed since that day he came to Brandon and as one of his first assignments, responded to a family fight in which a man had shot at his wife and paraplegic mother-in-law. He shot at Jones with a 12-gauge shotgun, one of 28 loaded guns he had, striking the deputy in the head and chest.
Less than two months later, Jones was back to work. ‘I’m not one to sit around,? he says.
On June 30, Jones will retire after 32 years in law enforcement.
It was 1970 when Jones began thinking about a career as a police officer. At that time, he was working as a model inspector at GMC and was tired of going into the shop every day, something he had done for 12 years. He put applications in at numerous police departments and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
On May 21, 1973, he was hired to work at the Oakland County Jail. Jones went to night school for four years to earn an associate’s degree in law enforcement and also attended other colleges, corrections academy for four weeks, police academy for eight weeks and armor school. As a department firearms instructor, he has been to classes around the country.
Jones, 59, has been a patrol officer for more than 20 years. When asked if the shooting was the scariest moment of his career, he said that while he was scared of what could happen, ‘You take care of the public’s needs.?
Jones mentions other events that were traumatic and have stayed with him’a devastating tornado in Novi and a passenger plane crash in Detroit. He performed in a security capacity during both.
‘Things like that are devastating on your mind,? Jones said. ‘You have to make the best of it and jump back on the horse.?
He has enjoyed his job over the years, saying the county has been good to him. There is no township or city in all of Oakland that he has not given assistance in at one time or another, he says. He admits the hours were rough early in his career, particularly for home life. Jones has been married to Barbara for 16 years and has a 26-year-old son, a 30-year-old stepdaughter and 36-year-old stepson who is a deputy in Independence Township.
Over the years, he has seen change in his field such as advances in equipment to perform the job. Crime labs have come a long way and DNA is now instrumental in cases, he says. But he has also noticed an increase in crime with population growth. He believes the system, although it is a slow process, is working and will get better with time.
No day is typical for Jones.
‘When you think you’ve seen it all’no, you haven’t,? he said. ‘Anything can happen at any time.?
He notes there are good times and bad times. A good day is one in which, for example he helps unlock a person’s car, helps a lady whose car has broken down, or helps kids. A bad day is one in which he is at a scene where children are hurt or a woman has been abused.
Jones is one of the few officers who still walk a beat. He walks downtown, talks to the public, rattles doors to make sure they are secure and lets the community know there is a police presence. The deputy is also known for rounding up animals. He has captured and returned wayward pigs, emus, and cows. He has taken care of two horses laying down in the middle of the road, as well as lassoed an ostrich who then took to pecking at Jones? badge. (‘That hurt,? he says.)
Brandon substation Sgt. Tim McIsaac praised Jones as not only helping his fellow officers, but volunteering his time to helping citizens’doing such good deeds as rebuilding a fence and taking up a collection for an elderly woman whose mailbox was removed and then replacing the mailbox on his own time.
‘You will not meet a deputy with a bigger heart,? McIsaac said. ‘His 32 years of experience is irreplaceable and there will be a huge void in Brandon Township for residents and his fellow officers.?
Jones is retiring as a police officer, but he hopes to continue to work part-time doing security for the Oakland County court system. He also wants to spend more time golfing, ‘so that maybe someday I’ll be good at it.?