Thurmont police chief to retire next month

Nov. 7—After leading the Thurmont Police Department for the last 18 years, Thurmont Police Chief Greg Eyler plans to retire on Dec. 1.

Eyler's ending a 44-year career in law enforcement.

"I am looking forward to retirement and really, after 44 years, I never thought I'd really give up police work, but I'm ready to move on," he said.

Lt. David Armstrong will succeed Eyler as chief, Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird said.

Armstrong could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

As chief, Eyler brought modern police education and technology to the town, overseeing a well-run, well-organized department, Kinnaird said.

"He was a great asset to the town," Kinnaird said.

Jim Humerick, the town's chief administrative officer, said the town will miss Eyler. He was a supportive chief and did great work in the community, he said.

"He has always put the public safety of our town first and foremost," he said.

When he was a boy living on Church Street in Thurmont, Eyler said, he looked up to Thurmont police officers and Maryland State Police troopers. He knew he wanted to become a police officer.

Eyler was first recruited as an officer with the Thurmont Police Department in 1979.

He transferred to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office in the late 1980s.

At the sheriff's office, he received specialized training in areas like homeland security and top management training.

He was the first in the agency to receive the Department Commendation of Valor in 1990, for disarming a person with a handgun in a domestic situation. No one was hurt.

Eyler graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in 1994.

For several years, Eyler rose through the ranks in the sheriff's office, until retiring as a major in 2005.

He then returned to the Thurmont Police Department as chief.

"I wanted my career to be full circle. I wanted to come back here to be the police chief if the opportunity became available, and it did," he said.

Eyler increased the department from seven sworn officers to 14, created various programs, and implemented new technology and systems.

But what he's most proud of, he said, is building the relationship between the community and the police department.

"I remember the turmoil that used to be here in Thurmont, and I think a relationship and a partnership between all town staff and the citizens is one of the most important things because that's how you solve crimes," he said. "And that's how you gain respect from your citizens, and we also, in turn, give them that respect, as well."

He said the foundation of that relationship is strong, and he feels comfortable leaving it in new hands.

He plans to spend his retirement with his family.

He said he's leaving with many happy memories.

"I heard, a while back, somebody mentioned that law enforcement is one of the greatest and one of the worst professions. But I look at it still as one of the greatest professions, not the worst," he said. "Yeah, we're in some bad situations and so forth, I see a lot of bad things, but it's still one of the best professions out there."

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