Bonney Lake Police Chief Mike Mitchell has spent 27 years in law enforcement, but these days finds himself thinking of the property he owns on Hood Canal and the hunting and fishing he has been missing while policing throughout the Pacific Northwest.

“The last couple of years, the only time I’ve been able to go down there is to mow the lawn,” he said with a laugh.

Beginning next fall, however, Mitchell, 54, plans to kick back, relax and enjoy life, including visiting his property a little more often. Last week, Mitchell announced his plans to retire.

Mitchell’s last day is expected to be on or around Sept. 16.

Though still focused on keeping Bonney Lake safe, Mitchell took a moment this week to reflect on his past four years in Bonney Lake and his career as a whole and said it was simply time to go.

“I’ve accomplished everything I’ve ever wanted to do,” he said.

Mitchell, in a previous interview, said he became interested in police work while watching Adam-12 on television and wanted to grow up to chase bad guys, just like they did on television.

After high school, Mitchell worked as a welder and machinist, but his stepfather’s death made him realize life is short and he decided to pursue his dream of police work, breaking into the profession with the Hoquiam Police Department before taking a job with the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Department. After working as a deputy, Mitchell moved on to Mountlake Terrace, where he worked his way up to assistant chief.

But because his chief was about the same age, Mitchell knew that if he hoped to run his own department, he was going to have to look elsewhere. When the position in Bonney Lake came open in 2006, Mitchell applied.

Mitchell replaced Interim Chief Arthur “Buster” McGehee, who held the position after Bryan Jeter left for Puyallup in 2004.

Mitchell said he is most proud of lowering the number of traffic fatalities in the city, especially among young people, through a new approach and emphasis patrols. Mitchell also served as chair of the Pierce County DUI task force and worked to create the Party Patrol, which seeks to break up large parties before people hit the roads.

Mitchell said he’d much rather take someone into custody before they get behind the wheel and offer counseling instead of just throwing them in jail, or worse.

Mitchell also put a focus on the city’s parks because when he first arrived in Bonney Lake, many people told him they didn’t feel safe at the parks.

“We stepped up and increased patrols,” he said. “It cost us overtime money, but that was very important to me.”

He also cited David Wells, city events coordinator, for creating more family programs and opportunities at the parks to make them a positive place for families again.

Mitchell said he was also proud to be able to increase the number of grants the department receives each year and that he was able to this year replace the city’s aging boat with a new patrol boat, all at no cost to the taxpayers.

Mitchell also said the addition of an armored vehicle has been helpful for the department and the county SWAT teams, including being used to help evacuate residents from homes in 2008 when an active shooter was loose behind Walmart.

But in an era when revenues are falling for cities everywhere, Mitchell said one of his challenges has been to tighten the department’s belt and make do with less, though again, he credited the administration for not taking a hatchet to police jobs, like some other municipalities have done.

“I’ve been fortunate to work for a city that is very focused and supportive in keeping their citizens safe,” he said.

As his time on the beat winds down Mitchell said he has agreed to sit on a panel to help pick his replacement, whom he said should have a great opportunity to put their stamp on the department if the planned annexation of areas south of the city go through.

“Until then it’s business as usual,” he said.

But Mitchell said he knows how fortunate he is to have worked in Bonney Lake and hopes whoever follows him realizes the same.

“Hopefully, the next person will come in and appreciate how good they have it and how good this community is,” he said.