DEMOPOLIS &045; Marty Hoven has experienced a lot during his 29-year career. He has worked diligently, playing numerous roles where others might stay in one area of expertise. But Hoven’s profession, which he will retire from Tuesday, is not one where people sit comfortable at a desk and play their part until retirement.

Hoven has been a police officer for a large part of his life, and as he looks toward retirement from the Demopolis Police Department, he can reminisce on a career filled with interesting situations and varied responsibilities.

Hoven, who looks at retirement as an opportunity to pursue other interests than his previous life serving and protecting the community, is looking forward to his new opportunities but cannot help reminiscing about his career. He said if it weren’t for almost getting shot by a police officer he might not even had pursued it as a career.

Hoven said, while he didn’t sustain a new man-made orifice, he did, after explaining the situation, gain a new friend. He said he also had other friends on the police force in Jackson, so he joined the auxiliary police force and started trying to join the force.

Hoven said several months later he received a call and was on the force. He said the day he started Johnnie Johnson, who had interview him as the assistant chief, became chief of the Demopolis Police Department.

Hoven, despite a three-year hiatus to the York Police Department early on in his career, remained a part of the Demopolis department. He said he started as a patrol officer where he gained the largest amount of experience during his career.

After patrolling the streets, Hoven became an evidence technician and eventually became certified to teach the city’s D.A.R.E. program. He said in 1999 he went into investigation full time while still teaching D.A.R.E.

Hoven said recently he has eased out of the role of an investigator and has taken on a more administrative role as he has approached retirement.