After ten years as Sarnia police chief and 44 years of service with the force, Phil Nelson will retire next summer.
Chief Nelson announced his retirement Thursday morning to the Police Services Board.
He says it wasn't an easy decision, but he feels the time is right.
"Anybody who has worked for a period of time recognizes that someday, somewhere down the line you're going to have to retire," says Nelson. "I'm not an advocate by any means of when you turn 65 you have to retire, but I figure it's been 43 years and when I look around the province a lot of the chiefs I know are gone. It's time for me to move on and spend more time with the family, I have a 5-year-old granddaughter my wife and I keep track of and she wears us both out, I feel it's just time to turn the reigns over to someone else."
Chair of the Police Services Board, Mayor Mike Bradley says Nelson will be greatly missed.
"Chief Nelson has never put himself above the people," says Bradley. "He is open and accessible, he's part of the community, raised his family here and greatly cares about the city and that's very evident in the respect that he has from all of us who work with him."
Phil Nelson joined the police force in 1974 and became chief in November, 2008.
The 64-year-old says he plans to spend more time with his wife and family. His final day is June 1, 2018.