The Bismarck Police Department just had two long-standing officers retire.

"When we started here, there were six of us," Terry Glatt remembers of his first days on the Bismarck police force. "I'm the last of the six."

Patrol officers Glatt, a 20-year veteran, and Barry Mayher, a 24-year veteran, both finished their service last week.

"The hardest thing to replace - not only were these guys good officers - but they had 44 years of collective knowledge," said Sgt. Dwight Offerman of the Bismarck police. "You can't replace knowledge, you have to rebuild it."

Glatt started March 15, 1988, following 27 months as an officer New Salem. In his two decades on the force, he said he really got to know his city.

"The majority of people we were able to help," he said. "It's rare that people hassle you - the majority of people are respectful."

Glatt has countless memories. He recalls responding to a party call, where people were wall-to-wall and shoulder-to-shoulder.

He went in and told them to break it up, but right away some people started making smart comments and getting rowdy. Then, from the other side of the room, he saw a huge guy coming right toward him. The guy got between the Glatt and the crowd and told his friends to leave the cop alone and go home.

"The guy said, 'This one is all right,' and I don't know why," Glatt said.

Not all of his memories are good ones though. As a traffic officer, he was often the first response to car wreck and some with fatalities.

"That's one part I won't miss," he said.

In a June 1991 apartment fire, in which Glatt said he helped six people, Offerman said Glatt received the North Dakota Peace Officers Lifesaving award.

Glatt said there was a particular incident in March that made him decide it was time to retire.

He responded to a disorderly conduct call. When he arrived on the scene with another officer, Glatt said there was a kid who wanted to fight the police. The kid was tough and it took the two officers to take him down; Glatt remembers thinking "that kid was 36 years younger than me."

"That was the straw that broke the camel's back," he said.

Offerman said Glatt was a very conscientious officer, adding that one year Glatt decided to make sure he would enforce every complaint they got. He wrote more than 600 tickets in a single year, Offerman said.

"That's a lot," he said.

The notion of no longer being a police officer is strange to Glatt. He said he will always look out his car window differently than normal citizens.

"Law enforcement is in your blood," he said. "It's going to be surreal."

His last day he said was nothing too tough. But every time he did the smallest task, he remembers thinking "it's the last time."

As for Mayher, Offerman said, he also spent the majority his career in the traffic section, dealing with traffic issues such as, parking and violations, accidents and fatalities.

"Barry was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, he had knack for a humour story and telling a joke," Offerman said. "He didn't stir up hard feelings in anyone."

Offerman said Mayher came into law enforcement after being an ambulance medic.

"From one helping profession to another," he said. "I know for some, to say Barry wanted to help people is a cliche, but in Barry's case it was fact - he really enjoyed the service to the people."

As an officer, he was credited twice for lifesaving efforts.

"It's not uncommon for an officer to have one," he said. "But two is outstanding."

Now that Glatt is retired, he has no idea what he's going to do.

"Just take it easy and lay back for a month or so," Glatt said, adding that he'll probably stay in Bismarck. He plans to be an ordained deacon in the Catholic church soon.

He said if he needs to earn some money, he could see himself going into some kind of sales, because he is used to dealing with people and likes it.

Offerman said the department had not yet replaced the two retirers, but said they have four new officers in training.

He said with the long training periods, the position will probably be filled in September or October at the earliest.

"I'm glad I was a policeman," Glatt said. "But I'll miss reading about a story in the news and knowing what the story behind the story really was."

(Reach reporter Chris Rosacker at 250-8254 or chris.rosacker@bismarcktribune.com.)