Two weeks ago, Indian River Shores Acting Public Safety Director Mike Jacobs announced on his Facebook page that he had turned down an offer to become the department’s permanent chief, opting instead to retire.
“Hold on to your hats and sit down,” Jacobs began his social-media post, which offered neither an explanation for his decision nor any hint as to what he might do next.
All he said – after expressing amazement at how quickly the past 27 years had passed and how honored he was to work with his colleagues – was that he was “going to enjoy the good life for a while.”
And that was that.
No press releases. No news conferences. Not a word from the town.
It was only fitting then, having spent the past 35 years as a newspaperman, that I began to wonder if there was something more to this story.
Not that Jacobs had ever given me any reason to doubt his word, but something didn’t feel right.
Jacobs is only 49 years old. By all accounts, he was successfully managing the Shores’ Public Safety Department.
And it appeared, after running the show for a year-and-a-half, that he wanted the job on a permanent basis.
Surely, I thought, something happened to change his mind – something at work, something at home, something with his health, maybe something he did or didn’t do.
So I did what a veteran journalist is supposed to do.
I asked.
“My wife and I had been discussing it for a while and, slowly but surely, I began seriously thinking about retirement,” Jacobs said. “There was no wrongdoing at all. I’m glad to get out holding my head high.
“We’ve got the two new fire trucks. Our staffing levels are good. Everything is in place, so it was the right time. And after giving it a lot of thought the past few months, I thought I’d try retirement early.”
But this early?
Shores Town Manager Robert Stabe said Jacobs’ Facebook post was “all accurate” – that the acting chief was offered the director’s job on a permanent basis, turned it down and submitted a letter indicating his intent to retire.
He also confirmed that Jacobs’ decision was not prompted by any type of problem.
“I can tell you for a fact that there’s nothing negative there,” said Stabe, who became the town manager after 23 years with the Shores police department, the final 13 months as public safety director. “When I asked him 18 months ago, he never hesitated to take on the ‘Acting Director’ position, on the assumption that eventually I’d offer him the job on a permanent basis.
“I had a couple of conversations with him a few days before he made his decision and, even at that point, he was still seriously considering the offer.”
Yet, Stabe said he wasn’t completely surprised that Jacobs, who held the rank of captain, passed on the job and chose to retire.
“We had talked about him taking the job throughout his time as acting director, but the last couple of weeks, I started getting a read that he might not,” Stabe said. “But I was still hoping he would.”
He didn’t.
And not knowing what Jacobs plans to do next – he said he was “exploring a new venture,” but offered no details – it still didn’t make sense.
So I had to ask: There are no health issues?
“Nothing serious, but it is a very stressful job,” Jacobs said. “It was getting harder to relax when I got home; my blood pressure was up there a bit and I was getting grumpy.”
And now?
Now, Jacobs said, he’s excited about embarking on the next chapter of his life.
“I’m not going to be fully retired,” he said. “My wife and I sold our rental equipment company, and we’ll travel a little the next couple of months. But after 27 years in law enforcement and public safety, I’m looking forward to doing something different – something that I’m not going to divulge just yet.”
Whatever that something is, it will not require a move from his home in Vero Beach.
“We’re staying here,” Jacobs said. “I love this town.”
As for the town where Jacobs no longer works, Stabe said he has appointed Lt. Tony Dudley to take over as acting director and is still discussing options with members of the Town Council.
“I’m having some one-on-one conversations with our elected officials to determine what direction we want to go,” Stabe said. “Do we want to open up the application process and go outside? Or do we want to conduct an in-house search? It’s a unique position because you’re not just a police chief.”
The Shores Public Safety Department requires its emergency response personnel to be cross-trained police officers, firefighters and paramedics. The next director must be able to oversee an operation that provides all three services.
Stabe said he hadn’t yet set a time frame for hiring a new director.
“Sooner rather than later, we’ll get started on a search. In the meantime, Tony is a very capable individual.”