Palmer officer follows path into retirement

Palmer Police Sgt. Charles Crim's office was nearly bare Thursday evening as he cleaned it out in order to retire. Book shelves sat empty, and 17 years of memories were removed from his police desk.

Yet one item remained on a top shelf: a prominent urn bearing the ashes of his former police partner, K-9 Officer Rex, who served six brave years at Crim's side.

"I think it's important to mention Rex," he said, taking the urn down to show an inscription on the bottom bearing Rex's name and years of service. "He was the only one in Palmer, a black German Shepherd the Palmer Lions Club bought," Crim said.

He brims with stories about Rex, who died in 1999 of a degenerative spinal ailment. The dog had an excellent tracking and searching nose. Crim used to illustrate Rex's olfactory powers for school children by hiding a favorite toy in a classroom. "He would go and find it. The kids loved him."

On the job, Rex was all business. He once sniffed out a hat and wallet belonging to a suspect who fled. Crim and Rex successfully tracked the suspect to his house through the woods based on those finds. "I probably couldn't have done that without him," the trooper said.

Rex retired in 1996 due to health troubles, then spent three more years as the Crim family pet.

Now Crim bids the community good-bye after two decades of work. Crim is the first Palmer officer in recent history to retire after such a long service record, said Palmer Chief George R. Boatright.

Crim and his wife, Terri, will enter the Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow, Okla., with plans to become church pastors.

"We both wanted to do this," Crim said. They will take their 14-year-old son, Erik, with them and study at the center for the next three years.

"I certainly wouldn't be opposed to returning to Palmer, but I'm not sure if that is where God is going to lead us," Crim said.

It wouldn't be the first time Crim was brought back to Alaska in that uncanny way life sometimes moves.

Crim was born at Anchorage's Elemendorf Air Force Base while his father served as a pilot. The family was transferred out after his birth, and, 21 years later, he ended up back at Elmendorf. He, too, had joined the Air Force.

Elmendorf therefore served as his first and last base, bringing him full circle.

In between, there was Haven, Kansas, Hamburg, NY and Abernathy, Texas. Then his own Air Force tours, including a year on the island of Crete with the Air Force Security Service.

"That was during the Cold War. I copied Morse code messages and another person analyzed them. We were looking at messages sent between allies and between military targets," Crim said. "It was interesting work."

From Crete, Crim was transferred to Alaska, where he served at Elmendorf four years. "I had never really thought about going into law enforcement until eight or nine months before I was getting out of the military," he said. A friend sparked the idea by joining the Alaska State Troopers.

Crim became an Anchorage Airport safety officer, handling crash-fire rescue and law enforcement issues, starting in 1981. By 1982, he had discovered the small town of Palmer and decided to move. He immediately enlisted as a reserve officer for the local force.

"At first I did the commute to Anchorage. I liked living here, and wanted to work here, too," Crim said.

Palmer was a bit more quiet 20 years ago. As a reserve officer, Crim directed traffic at parades, responded to traffic accidents and helped conduct interviews.

"I put in a lot of hours, and it was all volunteer," Crim said. He did this in addition to continuing the Anchorage commute for his airport law enforcement job. Within a year, the Palmer Police Department brought him on as a full-time officer.

Through the '80s, the endearing traits of Palmer police work continued to mean responding to the loose horse or the runaway cow troubles of local farmers, among the usual patrol work.

"Palmer almost seems like it has a separate culture than Wasilla. Palmer has an older population, and more farmers -- more people who work in the Valley," Crim said. "People helped each other out."

As the years went by, and Palmer's population grew, police were called out to more violent calls and investigated more felony cases. They didn't have a full-time investigator and still do not. "That meant we do everything from investigating our own cases to traffic stops. We didn't have the luxury of pursuing a favorite area," he said.

Crim was promoted to sergeant two years ago, yet in that role he continued to do police work and administrative tasks.

At a retirement luncheon Friday, Boatright praised and thanked Crim. He presented him with a plaque and a retirement badge.

"Thank you for all your years with Palmer Police and for your dedication to the community," he said.

Crim told the group that he hopes the legacy of his past work for the force included doing the right thing. "Not that I always have. But I remember hearing someone say, 'the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.' and I tried to do that."

Crim said he believes he is going to enjoy retirement. "But I will miss this place, no doubt about it," he told the large group.