RINCON — Officer Isaac Taylor’s desire to protect and serve has followed him everywhere he goes. That includes Afghanistan and Iraq.
Taylor’s career trail stopped here three years ago and he quickly made a mark as an advanced police officer. He was honored as the Rincon Police Department’s officer of the year during a Jan. 29 Rincon City Council meeting.
“We can’t express enough how much of a professional he is, how true to the city he is and how well he represents you and the police department,” Police Chief Phillip Scholl told city council members. “He’s always coming in with a smile on his face ready to work. He has a positive attitude and really sets the example of what is the officer of the year.”
Taylor was quick to respond when asked why he opted to become a policeman.
“Honestly, I just love helping people,” he said.
Taylor, a North Carolina native, spent four years in the Marine Corps and a decade in the Army as a military policeman. He pulled three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
After leaving the Army, Taylor spent two years with the police department in Keaton Beach, Fla., before moving to Rincon.
Taylor accepted his designation as officer of the year with humility.
“It’s great to be recognized by your peers,” he said. “I work hard and they recognize it. We are a team, though, and they work just as hard as I do.”