“I knew I didn’t want to do that the rest of my life,” he said of working in the fast-food business.
That interaction sent him seeking a career change. He saw an advertisement for a Middletown police cadet that mentioned working in the dispatch center and jail. That sounded more interesting than flipping burgers, he thought.
He joined the Middletown Division of Police Department in 1986 as a cadet with no aspirations of becoming a police officer.
“Never had a desire,” he said. “I fell into it.”
Then when he turned 21, Reeve was promoted from cadet to police officer. He remained in Middletown for 35 years and served as patrol officer, detective, sergeant, narcotics supervisor, lieutenant and deputy chief.
Last week, the police department hosted a retirement celebration for Reeve, 55. Police Chief David Birk presented Reeve, who retired as deputy chief, with his retirement badge and a card signed by members of the force.
“It’s time to go,” Reeve said before the retirement party. “I have really enjoyed my time here. It’s a good place to work with a lot of community support.”
On Monday morning, for the first time in his adult life, Reeve won’t have to report to work.
He plans to work part-time as a park ranger for Butler County MetroParks and start a polygraph business. He’s also looking forward to traveling with his wife, Betsy, who retired from the police department and Middletown Municipal Court.
During his career, Reeve held every position in the department. Two years ago, he applied to be police chief, a promotion Birk received. Birk credited Reeve for answering all his questions the last 18 months.
“Leaned on him a lot,” Birk said.
During his retirement party, Reeve told his co-workers: “It’s been a great career.”
He was asked about some of his memorable cases. Two years after he was hired, Reeve was called out to an accidental shooting involving two 10-year-olds. He said a boy was showing a gun when he shot a girl in the chest.
“I’ll never forget the mom just holding her daughter,” he said quietly.
He said after the girl was shot, she ran inside the trailer. The bloody scene resembled a horror movie, he said.
The boy tried to hide the girl’s body and he dragged her outside the trailer, then ran away. He eventually told police what happened.
Then earlier this year, Reeve polygraphed Brittany Gosney, the mother who confessed to killing her 6-year-old son on Feb. 26 and dumping his body into the Ohio River. After Gosney talked about how she tortured and killed James Hutchinson, Reeve asked her how she felt.
He expected her to be remorseful, he said.
Instead, according to Reeve she said matter-of-factly and calmly: “I feel so much better. It’s good to get that off my chest and talk about it.”
Throughout the court hearings, Reeve said no family member has represented the boy.
“Sometimes we’re the only ones who care,” he said of the officers. “It’s sad when you think about it. They tortured him, hog-tied them kids, stuffed dirty underwear in their mouths and no one in the family cared.”
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