Thank You Tinman

SAN ANGELO, TX -- 20-year San Angelo Police Department Veteran Sgt. Rick "Tinman" Tinsley retired from the line of duty today, 

Tinsley started his career as a military man where he spent 20 years in the US Air Force. He enlisted in 1978 and was actually a fire fighter. 

He started in Alexander, LA but was later moved to the Eglin Air Force Base in Western Florida. At Eglin he served as the assistant chief of operations and was in charge of a large number of men as well as nearly 700 miles of base and ranches. 

After being an assistant he took the Chief of Operations job on an island off Japan and then again at a classified location in Egypt. 

Tinsley has received awards for being a master instructor and for being a block supervisor at Goodfellow Air Force Base. He has also received the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Combination medal with bronze oak leaf cluster, and many more before he retired from the military. 

In 1999 Tinsley became a San Angelo Police Officer and served as a patrolmen, a detective specializing in crimes against children, one of the first selected in the special operations unit, and worked heavily with the hostage negotiation team that is now called the crisis intervention team. 

One of Tinsley's main accomplishes is that that he was very involved with the community. He was the one who started the first "Coffee with a Cop," "Pops with a Cop," and has bar-B-qued many times for events around town. 

Tinsley finished his career with the SAPD by becoming a Master Police Officer, Certified Trainer, Served on the Board and then became the president of the SOPA. 

The ceremony closed by Tinsley saying a few words to his colleagues that were staying behind. 

"We are blessed to serve in San Angelo because of the citizens," said Tinsley. "They love us, they take care of us, and that why we are here."