News
SAV commander Hoeckelberg retires
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| Photo submitted Green Valley SAV Commander Bob Hoeckelberg has retired from his position with the Sheriff’s volunteer program to pursue his other interests and hobbies, he says. |
By Jaime Richardson, Green Valley News
Bob Hoeckelberg has retired after nine years as commander of the Green Valley Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteer unit.
He says he’s going to miss the excitement of being on the front lines of local law enforcement, but most of all he’ll miss the friends and volunteers he feels privileged to have worked with during his 17 years in SAV.
“The people of SAV are unique, and they’re just good, good people,” said Hoeckelberg.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department Auxiliary Volunteer program was started in 1981 to create a non-profit support system for the Sheriff’s Department.
Volunteers throughout Pima County run Neighborhood Watch programs, perform residential and commercial security inspections, provide traffic control for both emergency situations and special activities, handle fingerprinting duties and offer administrative and clerical support to department personnel. There are currently 102 Green Valley residents in SAV.
One of the best things about being a volunteer officer is the variety of challenges each day brings — some of them fun, and others, serious, Hoeckelberg said.
One memory that stands out in his mind is the first accident he responded to as an officer — a rollover on the Interstate involving a smuggling vehicle that was packed with more than a dozen illegal immigrants. The scene was chaotic.
“There were injured people scattered everywhere, and I can remember the sound of children out in the desert, crying,” he said.
Oftentimes when deputies respond to a call, they are alone, and left to deal with accident scenes and injured victims without immediate backup, he explained. This is where SAV officers come in.
“It’s impossible to handle all that and direct traffic at the same time,” said Hoeckelberg. “It’s gratifying when you know you’ve helped a deputy. At the end of the day, you feel like you’ve really done something.”
He has lighter memories of retrieving lost pets, and of working Fourth of July fireworks shows, the White Elephant Parade, and even the circus when it came to town several years ago.
“I wouldn’t have been able to get that close to all that excitement as a civilian.”
Bob and his wife Dolores retired in 1990 to Green Valley from Arlington Heights, Ill., where he worked for 34 years at a life insurance company and retired as vice president.
When they were settled in Green Valley, Bob decided to give SAV a try after running across a local television program aimed at recruiting new officers.
“I could have volunteered as a pool monitor, but that didn’t seem very exciting to me,” Hoeckelberg joked. “I was still in my 50s and not ready to quiet down just yet.”
He says it’s rare to find an SAV officer with a background in law enforcement, because most people want to try something new in their retirement. The past 17 years have added a new dimension to his life, especially to his relationship with his daughter, Carol Lussky, who has a Master’s Degree in criminal justice administration and is chief of police of her small town in Northern Illinois.
“We talk all the time and compare stories,” he said. “I get kidded that I’m ‘second generation’ law enforcement.”
2009 would have marked Hoeckelberg’s tenth year as an SAV commander. He was nominated to the position in 1999, during Pima County Sheriff’s Lt. Sandy Rosenthal’s first run as lieutenant at the Green Valley substation. Hoeckelberg was then selected and sworn in by Sheriff Clarence Dupnik.
“Bob has proven over the years that he was the right man for the job,” Rosenthal said. “He believes in the concept of retirees supporting other retirees, and has been instrumental in keeping the volunteer program strong and thriving.”
Hoeckelberg made the decision to retire from SAV because of back problems, but says he’s looking forward to devoting more time to the other organizations he’s involved in, namely the Greater Green Valley Community Foundation, the Freemasons and the Elks Club. A new SAV commander will be named later this month or in early February.
Hoeckelberg has high hopes for the future of SAV in Green Valley, and says he would recommend volunteering to anyone.
“To quote my friend Joey Lessa, ‘it’s the best job you won’t get paid for.’”
jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726
He says he’s going to miss the excitement of being on the front lines of local law enforcement, but most of all he’ll miss the friends and volunteers he feels privileged to have worked with during his 17 years in SAV.
“The people of SAV are unique, and they’re just good, good people,” said Hoeckelberg.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department Auxiliary Volunteer program was started in 1981 to create a non-profit support system for the Sheriff’s Department.
Volunteers throughout Pima County run Neighborhood Watch programs, perform residential and commercial security inspections, provide traffic control for both emergency situations and special activities, handle fingerprinting duties and offer administrative and clerical support to department personnel. There are currently 102 Green Valley residents in SAV.
One of the best things about being a volunteer officer is the variety of challenges each day brings — some of them fun, and others, serious, Hoeckelberg said.
One memory that stands out in his mind is the first accident he responded to as an officer — a rollover on the Interstate involving a smuggling vehicle that was packed with more than a dozen illegal immigrants. The scene was chaotic.
“There were injured people scattered everywhere, and I can remember the sound of children out in the desert, crying,” he said.
Oftentimes when deputies respond to a call, they are alone, and left to deal with accident scenes and injured victims without immediate backup, he explained. This is where SAV officers come in.
“It’s impossible to handle all that and direct traffic at the same time,” said Hoeckelberg. “It’s gratifying when you know you’ve helped a deputy. At the end of the day, you feel like you’ve really done something.”
He has lighter memories of retrieving lost pets, and of working Fourth of July fireworks shows, the White Elephant Parade, and even the circus when it came to town several years ago.
“I wouldn’t have been able to get that close to all that excitement as a civilian.”
Bob and his wife Dolores retired in 1990 to Green Valley from Arlington Heights, Ill., where he worked for 34 years at a life insurance company and retired as vice president.
When they were settled in Green Valley, Bob decided to give SAV a try after running across a local television program aimed at recruiting new officers.
“I could have volunteered as a pool monitor, but that didn’t seem very exciting to me,” Hoeckelberg joked. “I was still in my 50s and not ready to quiet down just yet.”
He says it’s rare to find an SAV officer with a background in law enforcement, because most people want to try something new in their retirement. The past 17 years have added a new dimension to his life, especially to his relationship with his daughter, Carol Lussky, who has a Master’s Degree in criminal justice administration and is chief of police of her small town in Northern Illinois.
“We talk all the time and compare stories,” he said. “I get kidded that I’m ‘second generation’ law enforcement.”
2009 would have marked Hoeckelberg’s tenth year as an SAV commander. He was nominated to the position in 1999, during Pima County Sheriff’s Lt. Sandy Rosenthal’s first run as lieutenant at the Green Valley substation. Hoeckelberg was then selected and sworn in by Sheriff Clarence Dupnik.
“Bob has proven over the years that he was the right man for the job,” Rosenthal said. “He believes in the concept of retirees supporting other retirees, and has been instrumental in keeping the volunteer program strong and thriving.”
Hoeckelberg made the decision to retire from SAV because of back problems, but says he’s looking forward to devoting more time to the other organizations he’s involved in, namely the Greater Green Valley Community Foundation, the Freemasons and the Elks Club. A new SAV commander will be named later this month or in early February.
Hoeckelberg has high hopes for the future of SAV in Green Valley, and says he would recommend volunteering to anyone.
“To quote my friend Joey Lessa, ‘it’s the best job you won’t get paid for.’”
jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726
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