After 44 years of catching bad guys and serving the citizens of the city, Lt. Roy Wedlund of the Seattle Police Department has retired his badge.

His tenure as a police officer is the third longest in the department's history. Only one person has worked one more year and another two more years than Wedlund.

Wedlund does not have any big plans now that he is no longer wearing his uniform. "I'm 71 years old. After 44 years, why should I be doing anything?" he said.

Wedlund grew up in Anacortes where his cousin was the Chief of Police. "That influenced me. Having a chief as a cousin is bound to influence you. I had to be nicer and better than the other kids," he said.

In 1958 Wedlund was attending the University of Washington by day and working at Boeing at night. He came home one evening and saw a television commercial for new police officers and applied.

He passed the test to be a police officer, but was drafted into the army that same year. In 1961, he was discharged and was one of 100 new Seattle Police officers hired prior to the opening of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

Wedlund's first assignment was the jail on the 6th and 7th floor of police headquarters in the old Public Safety Building downtown.

"I handled felony suspects while they were waiting for charges," Wedlund said.

Like other officers, Wedlund rotated assignments at the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair.

His first arrest was the day before the fair opened. A man became intoxicated and was harassing fair workers.

After three months on the job, Wedlund was sent to the Police Academy.

"With all this training, the best training is on the streets with senior officers," said Wedlund. Those officers were former World War II and Korean War veterans.

"I came to work with the great generation.

They were terrific people to work with and they were dedicated with a sense of community and judgment," said Wedlund.

He has worked in many capacities during his career and has been assigned to patrol neighborhoods throughout the city. Wedlund has worked foot beats downtown, been a member of the homicide and burglary units as well as acting director of the personnel department.

Wedlund's biggest arrest was a man who fled from Oregon after murdering a waitress.

He was an ex-con who by this time had killed two people. "We found him parked at the blood bank downtown. He was determined and was at the beginning stage of being a serial murderer," said Wedlund.

The car he was driving had a large distinctive antenna on the back and this tipped Wedlund and his partner off. They surrounded the car with their guns drawn. The man was armed, but decided to give up. He spent the rest of his life in prison.

Wedlund's mother is Norwegian and his father is Swedish. His grandparents came to the U.S. from Sweden.

Over the years, he has had many relatives living in Ballard. His uncle used to own the Texaco station at 15th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Market St.

As the first watch (4 a.m.-noon) commander the past ten years at the North Precinct, Wedlund supervised officers in the entire North end of the city, including Ballard.

Wedlund said in the old days, Ballard was like a town within a city where people did not have to lock their doors and this was unique to Ballard.

"Back in those days, you knew everyone on the block. It was more of an old time community. The patrol officers on the beat were the same guys for years, generations knew them," said Wedlund.

There were plenty of fishermen and drinking establishments. "You had people who worked hard and partied hard. The taverns and bars were frequented quite a bit," said Wedlund.

Drunks who caused trouble downtown were taken to jail. "In Ballard, that person is taken home by other patrons. They knew each other. It's similar to a small town feeling," said Wedlund.

Violent crimes have changed over the years. Fights were once settled with fists.

"Now there's more violence, younger kids do things we never thought of back then. Today it's guns they are using," said Wedlund.

During his early years in the department, there were fewer calls to go on. Residents could file a Request to Watch form with the police to visit their homes when they were away on vacation.

"Beat officers would walk around a home several times. It was a more personal community service. We were able to provide that service and not constantly be on call," said Wedlund.

The phone calls for help from the police have increased 1,000 fold since Wedlund began his career. Police officers are working every minute said Wedlund.

"Helping people. It's a service position. Your employer is the community."