Retired police chief reflects on new monument and 30-year law enforcement career
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SHELLEY – Two and a half years after retirement, Rod Mohler is being recognized for a 30-year career in law enforcement.
The 55-year-old Shelley man retired in May 2022 after serving as the city’s police chief for a decade. He is now one of nearly 1,000 people from Shelley to be listed on a new monument honoring veterans and first responders.
The 6-foot by 16-foot brick monument at 244 West Pine Street is being dedicated this Saturday at 1 p.m.
The monument’s creation was a community effort and Mohler tells EastIdahoNews.com it’s an honor for him to be mentioned on the plaque.
“I don’t feel I did anything spectacular. I did my job the best I could, and I did it for my community. If that was enough to get on there, I’m very honored and proud,” Mohler says.
Just as thrilling to him is to see his son, Austin, on the list. Austin has been with the Shelley-Firth Fire Department for 14 years. Mohler’s younger son, Wade, worked there for a time as well.
“I’m very service-oriented, and I’m proud to say that both my boys inherited that gene from me,” says Rod. “I wish they would’ve included my youngest on that list, too.”
But regardless, he’s grateful the community has a new monument paying tribute to those who have served.
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Mohler now works full time for NPW, an auto parts store in Idaho Falls. Though he misses working in law enforcement, he’s glad to be in another line of work that allows him to see his family more often.
“I spent 30 years away from my family a lot, and I figured it was time to step down while I’m still (young and healthy),” Mohler says.
As Mohler reflects on three decades of service, he says the thing he misses most is putting on his uniform every day and making a difference in the community.
“I don’t miss the politics. I don’t miss the blood, the gore and the fights. I miss the opportunity to change someone’s life today,” he says.
Career highlights
Mohler got his start as a reserve officer for the Shelley Police Department in the spring of 1992 and became a full-time officer several months later.
He went on to work as a deputy for the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office for a few years before returning to Shelley.
Working in law enforcement is something Mohler wanted to do from the time he was a kid.
“It’s something I was always interested in and always wanted to do. I don’t know why,” Mohler explains.
Early on in his career, he remembers helping a vet with PTSD dealing with suicidal thoughts. He talked to him for about two hours before getting him some professional assistance.
Five or six years later, the man came back and thanked him for his help, saying that if it weren’t for Mohler, he probably wouldn’t be here.
The man has since moved away, but Mohler counts that as one of his most rewarding experiences.
“Knowing without a doubt that when you go to sleep one night and you touched someone’s life for the better — there’s no other feeling like it,” says Mohler.
While Mohler admits “it’s a lot bigger playground” working for the sheriff’s office, implying there’s often a lot more action, he says being a small-town cop put him closer to the people. There’s greater opportunity to get to know people and help them, he says, and that’s the reason he chose to work in Shelley for most of his career.
In 2012, Mayor Swede Christensen, who has since passed away, appointed Mohler Chief of Police.
One of his most memorable cases in this capacity was his work on the Vonnie Taysom case. It’s a murder case involving a 13-year-old girl dating back to 1966.
“Every chief since 1966 has worked on it,” says Mohler. “It will stay open until it’s solved.”
But there are numerous other cases he was involved in. He can’t recall anything specific, but says his heart was close to many of them, taking “a small part of me with it.”
“That’s why I hope I was good at what I did because I did care that much,” says Mohler.
Mohler’s proudest achievement as police chief is “bridging the gap in the community between the citizens and law enforcement.”
“Everybody in town knew who I was, and they knew they could always come to me with problems and issues,” he says. “Even though we had a horrible job to do at times, I worked really hard to treat those who worked under me (and others in the community) with respect and dignity.”
Chad Purser was appointed Mohler’s replacement two years ago. Mohler hired him around 2016, and he’s happy to see him leading the department.
Despite the tragic things he witnessed over the years, Mohler says it was an honor to serve, and he’d do it again in a heartbeat.
