GPD: 1 retires, 1 gets promotion
By John Joyce
Published in News on February 9, 2014 1:50 AM
Veteran police captain and Goldsboro Police Department Command Staff member John J. Biggins officially retired Saturday after 27 years on the job.
Stepping into the role vacated by Biggins is Dwayne Dean, formerly the sergeant over criminal investigations. Dean rises to the rank of captain after 22 years in service, 16 of them spent in investigations.
Biggins also is a retired Air Force veteran with more than 20 years and a veteran of the Mar-Mac Volunteer Fire Department.
He spent the last seven years overseeing the Goldsboro Police Department's participation in the Governor's Highway Safety Program, stepping up patrols and check points over holiday weekends and during specified periods, to combat drunk driving.
"For the last 47 years, when I got up in the morning all I had to do was reach over and put my uniform on, you know, from my time in the service until now," Biggins said.
He will now reach for civilian clothes instead and spend his days with his family. He has two sons, both now in law enforcement, and a daughter in the Fort Bragg area. Between them there are five grandkids, Biggins said.
Dean will bring three years of supervisory experience to his new role in support services, along with 16 years of connections.
"I've got a whole bunch of contacts garnered over the years that will be useful," he said.
Crime trends track from Goldsboro and Wayne County to neighboring cities and counties and vice versa, fostering good networking and interagency connections, Dean said.
Capt. Biggins, who spent the bulk of his career on the patrol side, has those connections already in place.
"Capt. Dean brings the investigations connections over, while with John Biggins' patrol background, his were all on the uniform side. It really rounds things out for us," Police Chief Jeff Stewart said.
Stewart said it is not easy watching a close friend retire.
"I asked him to stay, believe me, but I understand why. He feels this is the right time for him," Stewart said.
As for Dean, Stewart said he has earned his promotion and he is a welcome addition to the department's command staff.
"He did it himself, he went through the whole process and did really well," he said.
Dean said he is aware of the challenges ahead and he is ready to take on the responsibility.
"This is coming at a good time in my career," he said.
Sgt. Joshua Stine will take over coordination of the Governor's Highway Safety Program.