XENIA — Dave Pazynski didn’t exactly wake up one day last week and decide to retire from the Xenia Police Division.
But it was pretty darn close to that.
“I said ‘that’s it, I’m done,’ ” the 25-year law enforcement officer quipped.
In reality Pazynski’s decision to retire March 25 wasn’t made that hastily. The oft-awarded captain sad he had been “thinking about it for a while” but the time was right to do it now.
“Especially with the financial budget crisis the city is (facing), possibly save a job,” he said. “It works out for everybody.”
Battling a cash-flow shortage the city will either need to raise taxes or reduce its public safety payroll. By retiring now, that’s potentially one less position that would need to be eliminated.
“That was like the icing on the cake,” Pazynski said. “That will help out.”
And now Pazynski will be able to help out around the house a little more. But his wife of nearly 26 years, Lee, shouldn’t get too used to it.
Pazynski already has his summer planned by taking a motorcycle trip to Alaska in June.
“It’s one of my bucket-list items,” Pazynski said. “I want to go all the way up to Deadhorse, Alaska.”
Round trip it’s 10,500 miles, which probably doesn’t seem like a lot to someone who spent a good majority of his career driving in a vehicle. Pazynski began in March 1991 and spent the first several years of his career with the Xenia Police Division in patrol.
In August 1998, Pazynski was promoted to rank of sergeant where he served for nearly 11 years before his promotion to captain. During this time Pazynski graduated from Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.
He accepted many specialized assignments during his career with XPD. Pazynski worked as a DARE officer, community policing supervisor, crime prevention supervisor, volunteer and reserve coordinator, armorer, firearms instructor and field training officer.
Pazynski also designed and developed the Xenia Police Division’s first website, wrote a grant resulting in an award for purchasing automated external defibrillators to place in cruisers to make officers true first responders, wrote a grant with an award for purchasing officer body cameras and most recently created the Xenia Police Division’s first mobile app.
“I’m just happy all of my 25 years with the police department,” Pazynski said. “It’s been a great experience. It’s great working with a good department and good officers. It’s the people you work with … makes it worth working in. I’d like to thank the citizens of Xenia for giving me the opportunity. It’s been a wonderful time.”
Pazynski also received many commendations recognizing his professional conduct and performance throughout his career. He received the “Leadership Award” in 2001, 2003, 2007 and 2008 and the “Distinguished Service Award” in 2002, 2003 and 2009 in recognition of his outstanding acts of heroism and bravery.
“Captain Pazynski has served this community proudly for 25 years,” Chief Randy Person said. “His leadership, innovation, stewardship of resources, and willingness to take on any task or assignment will be greatly missed.”
