With 55 years of service under his belt at the Montgomery County Police Department, 77-year-old Lt. Thomas B. Jacocks is now the longest-serving law enforcement officer at a single agency in the state of Maryland.

Jacocks is a court liaison officer and despite his many years of service, he has not yet set a date for retirement.

"I never started out with the intention of setting a record," he said in a statement. "I just never got tired of this work and I still have to do something every day."

Police Chief Tom Manger described Jacocks as a "cop's cop" and one of "Montgomery County's finest." He added that Jacocks' "dedication to the law enforcement profession and those in need of our assistance distinguishes him every day."

Jacocks aspired to be a police officer when he was 6 years old. The dream came true when he started as a patrol officer in Bethesda on July 1, 1955. Since then, he has risen through the ranks and is now a lieutenant with the 2nd District in Bethesda. In addition to his police work, Jacocks has also volunteered for the Maryland Special Olympics program for the past 25 years. Jacocks' immediate boss, 2nd District Commander Russ Hamill said, "this is a tremendous milestone for anyone to reach, but it is especially meaningful because he still comes to work every day with a sincere desire to serve the community and one of the strongest work ethics I've ever witnessed."

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