McMinnville Police Department Capt. Derwin Adcock is retiring a few weeks shy of 29 years with the city and 31 years total in law enforcement.

Health issues played a major role in Adcock’s decision. 

“I’d actually wanted to hold off for a while, but I’ve already had one heart attack and one light stroke so my daughters told me to look at something a little less stressful,” said Adcock.

Adcock, 55, started in 1982 as a paramedic for EMS. He rode with deputies in DeKalb County to learn the roads as an ambulance driver, which sparked his interest in law enforcement. 

“Public service work was just one of the things I enjoyed … helping and meeting a lot of different people,” said Adcock.

When asked about his most memorable case, he described the horrific triple murders on Myers Lane. The conviction of Doug Myers in 2002 ended more than two years of investigation where lawmen questioned nearly 400 potential witnesses and suspects. 

“There was a woman and two kids who were killed and they tried to burn the house down to cover it up,” recalled Adcock. “It was a long and drawn out case and nearly every detective we have here played a part in it and worked on it.”

As for the most rewarding part of his job, Adcock described cases that deal with kids that result in a positive outcome, such as getting a child out of a bad home situation. He said helping change lives for the better has always been the most rewarding part. 

Adcock also explained that over the years, he has learned the top two essential skills for an officer are to listen and communicate. That’s some of the best advice he could share with new law enforcement officers.

“Someone will have a problem or issue going on and an officer may not see it as that big of a deal, but to that person it is,” said Adcock. “No matter how many times we’ve seen it, or how minor we think it may be, to them, it is a big issue so take the time to listen and get to know the people you serve.”

So what are Adcock’s plans for retirement? He joked his wife has a “honey-do book” of things for him to do. He also mentioned getting back into his favorite hobby – fishing. 

Adcock’s last day as captain of criminal investigations is Dec. 28. His replacement is Lt. Detective Nichole Mosley. 

Mosley, who started working with Adcock 23 years ago, said he’s been great to work with and she’ll miss him terribly.

“We have experienced a lot together in this profession and have so many stories that you can’t make up,” chuckled Mosely. “We used to say we need to write a book, but now we can’t remember it all. There will never be another Derwin so I can’t say I am replacing him, but I will be taking on the role as captain.”