By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor
Longtime travel enthusiast Ed Duncan will now have more time for that passion.
“A lifelong ambition and desire of mine is to visit Australia,” said Duncan, who recently retired as a colonel with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office after a 34-year career in law enforcement. “We plan to make a lengthy stay in Australia if we get the opportunity,” he said about himself and his wife.
Duncan, 56, officially retired Sept. 22, and says that the biggest adjustment has been not being on alert.
“The biggest thing has been getting used to the quiet,” he said, noting that he has been on call for more than 25 years.
A retired friend of Duncan’s told him that he wouldn’t realize the stress level of day-to-day service in law enforcement until it was over.
“Any moment you could be called into action,” he explained. “Going from a million miles a minute all the time to zero is a big adjustment.”
Duncan isn’t going into his retirement blind, saying that he has been thinking about it for a while. One of the things he says makes the transition easier is having a network of friends outside of the field.
“That’s a healthy part of the profession, to have that outside involvement,” he said. “Like with everything, that career will come to an end one day.”
Duncan mentioned that he has friends involved with strawberry farming and cattle ranching, saying the latter has always been an interest of his and something that he is considering pursuing in his retirement.
“All my life I’ve been interested in the cattle business,” he said, noting that he has been a member of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association for more than 15 years.”
Duncan got involved with that through law enforcement, serving in the agricultural unit as a sergeant.
“I’ve always had an interest in raising cattle,” he said. “It’s not something that I would do as a total means to a livelihood, but that type of business is very interesting to me.”
Duncan is currently in the process of searching for a piece of land for a small herd.
Looking back on his long career in law enforcement, Duncan says many stories stand out. But one in particular left a lasting memory, because it happened right here in Plant City, which Duncan has called home for more than 30 years.
It was on a Friday in December three years ago, when the city was having its annual Christmas parade. There was a shooting by a homicide suspect who fired several rounds, killing an innocent bystander.
Duncan helped coordinate a massive manhunt with all of the surrounding jurisdictions. The manhunt led to the apprehension of the shooter.
“A situation like that can be chaotic, but it takes an effort where all units are working together,” he said.
Duncan had one more memory to add to his bank a few months ago, when he helped coordinate law enforcement for the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
In addition to traveling, Duncan said he is a runner and outdoor enthusiast. He plans on having some more time for these passions in his retirement.