POULSBO — Poulsbo Police Department’s Sgt. Bill Playter is retiring after 23 years of service, and it’s a good thing.

With eight grandkids and six great-grandkids to spoil, he’s going to need all the extra time he can get.

The Poulsbo native and North Kitsap High School 1961 grad began his law enforcement career with the Winslow Police Department, serving as a reserve, then patrol officer. In 1985 he joined Poulsbo’s ranks, and rose through the chain of command to detective in 1986 and sergeant in 1987.

Now at 65, he’s leaving the job to others and preparing for some good ol’ R & R.

“They’re doing a good job with the city of Poulsbo and they’ll continue on doing that,” Playter said of the Poulsbo department.

While it isn’t always easy to leave some cases behind, he’s ready to enjoy retirement — especially when it comes to sleeping in and wearing more comfortable clothing.

Poulsbo police officer Nick Hoke said working with Playter was a pleasure, and he was a man well-known and respected not just within Poulsbo’s department, but throughout other agencies as well.

“I think everyone is in agreement that he was pretty well-loved,” he said, adding Playter sported a “great sense of humor” through his decades of service.

That sense of humor served him well, too, as he recalled a few hapless, would-be burglars, one of whom left his wallet at the scene of the crime, and the other who returned to the gas station he victimized to ask for directions. Those, he said, were just a few of the more memorable moments in his time protecting Little Norway’s citizens.

Making pals on the job was another part of Playter’s 23-year run he said was well worthwhile.

“I have quite a few fond memories of people that I worked with that became friends,” he said.

Now those friends are throwing him a party.

The Poulsbo Police Officer’s Association is sponsoring a retirement celebration for Playter at 6 p.m. March 16 at Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant in downtown Poulsbo. All are invited. For more information, call (360) 779-3113.