Longtime Landis police officer reflects on half-century career

LANDIS — Buddy Porter Sr. began his career in law enforcement more than 50 years ago. While he has not always been in the same department or agency, he has spent every one of those years serving in various capacities in Rowan County.

Porter is 72, but he wants to keep working in his position as an officer at the Landis Police Department.

“As long as my health stays up and the chief will let me, I want to stay,” Porter said.

Porter has been working at the Landis Police Department for 23 years. Before that he was a sergeant over civil process at the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.

Reflecting back on his long career, Porter said he served under numerous Rowan County sheriffs, including John Stirewalt, Bob Martin and George Wilhelm, but his first job was in Spencer.

“I went to work for Bill Thompson in 1973 at the Spencer Police Department,” Porter said. “I was there for about a year. I started out making $1,500 a year.”

Porter said that he got a call from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office offering him $2,500 a year.

“A $1,000 raise?” Porter said. “I jumped all over that.”

Porter worked patrols for a while before he got promoted to civil process which serves legal paperwork for things like evictions, divorces and repossessions.

“When we pulled up, people knew something was gonna get taken,” Porter said. He spent 28 years working for the sheriff’s office. In fact, his wife, Linda, worked there for years as a detective, although she retired about two decades ago.

“Every day, she is trying to get me to retire,” Porter said.

He’s been at the Landis Police Department ever since and it has endeared him to his fellow officers there, which makes the prospect of retirement more difficult.

“I love the job, and I love the town,” Porter said. “I enjoy working with the people I work with. We have a great bunch of guys.”

One of his co-workers is particularly close to Porter; it’s his son, Buddy Jr.

“It’s awesome to work with my son,” Porter said. “We work well together. If he needs help, he calls me. If I need help, I call him.”

He likes the pace of things in Landis.

“There are not a lot of calls,” Porter said. “No major crimes.”

However, during his law enforcement career, Porter has had to respond to some tough calls. One such story involved a man who was attempting to take his own life with a hose run from the exhaust pipe of his car.

“He was trying to commit suicide and driving all around the county,” Porter remembered. “It was snowing that day. I followed his tracks in the snow and ditches and a mailbox he ran over. Caught up to him on Patterson Road. I jumped out of the truck and, snatched the door open and pulled him out.”

Porter said every time he saw the man after that day that the man would thank him for saving his life.

Other stories, like responding to a shooting with the county’s special response unit, still stick with him.

“It’s the kind of thing you lose sleep over,” Porter said.

At the end of the day, Porter knows he’s in the right field.

“My favorite part is serving the people,” Porter said. “I love helping people.”

Landis Police Chief Matthew Geelen confirmed that Porter’s philosophy is evident in his service.

“Officer Porter was in Landis when I started as an officer here,” Geelen said. “He has since been promoted to sergeant. I have seen Officer Porter remain steadfast to the town, the citizens and the department through it all.

“He has never wavered in his efforts to support Landis and its citizens. He has continued to be an asset, and I look forward to his future endeavors with the department.”

There’s no telling when Porter will turn in his badge, but for now, he is staying put.

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