CLINTON —
Randy Meier can’t remember what attracted him to law enforcement more than 30 years ago, but it’s the idea of service that compels him to continue.
“It’s nice to be in a position where you can sometimes make things easier for people,” Meier said.
Meier became the Seniors vs. Crime director on Aug. 13. He took the position after retiring from the Clinton Police Department with 33 years of service. When he retired in October of last year, Meier was a captain and the commander of the criminal investigations division.
The 55-year-old Clinton resident said he’s all too familiar with the field of law enforcement and didn’t intend on pursuing the position he currently holds. It was his working relationship with former Seniors vs. Crime Director Alan Green that caused him to pursue the position.
“When I was the detective captain he would contact me with different issues on criminal matters. We worked together on a couple different cases,” Meier said. “I have a lot of respect for him… he seemed to manage himself with a lot of intelligence and dignity.”
Being the Seniors vs. Crime director also affords Meier the opportunity to continue helping the community by protecting seniors from scams and other potentially devastating crimes.
“Service to the community is important to me. I thought this was an avenue where I’d be able to pursue that,” Meier said.
Because the position is part time, Meier has only had eight working days since he started. In those eight days, however, he said he’s already working to integrate his methods into the sheriff’s filing system to develop statistics on the amount of different types of crime being committed.
“It’s one thing to say, ‘well, we sure have had a lot of this.’ Well, what is a lot?” he said.
In the days when he’s not working, Meier said he enjoys doing anything that involves the outdoors.
“I’m pretty active. I like biking, running, travel, take several trips in and out of the country. I like to grow a lot of my own food,” he said.
On his work computer, he proudly displays a picture of himself at the summit of a 14,000-foot peak in Colorado.
He said the phone is still the most common way people are approached by scammers.
“The bottom line advice: Don’t give any information to an unsolicited caller,” he warned.
Meier said his role is to educate people so they don’t become victims of crime because once a crime is committed, it’s hard to reach the culprits — many of whom, he said, are possibly overseas and untouchable for all intensive purposes.
“It’s much easier to prevent it than it is to make up for it after the fact. It’s much, much better for people to be cautious,” he said. “I think that’s one of the best things I can do, is encourage an awareness and skepticism among people.”
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September 8, 2012
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR: Randy Meier
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