Cameron Montemayor
ST JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A stalwart of the St. Joseph Police Department is calling it a career after years of dedication and service, both to the community of St. Joseph and the fellow officers he showed unwavering support for.
Friends, family and colleagues of Sgt. James Tonn gathered on Friday to honor and celebrate the last day for the retiring sergeant, one of the most respected men in the department, a man who led with compassion and dedicated himself to many critical positions within the department throughout his 17-year career.
A graduate of Missouri Western State University, Tonn began his law enforcement career with the U.S. Army, serving as a military police officer for six years before transitioning to the SJPD in 2008, where he started on patrol.
“You know, 23 years of law enforcement, in the military and here total, done a lot, seen a lot,” Tonn said. “I wanted to help people, and I still want to help people. I’m going to miss that.”
Tonn’s resume is a testament to his veteran leadership, skills and experience: Nine years with the department’s Special Response Team, including the position of sniper, patrol sergeant, detective, crime scene investigator and active shooter response instructor, among others.
Tonn spent the last six years of his career as a traffic sergeant, where he helped supervise the department’s traffic unit. Including working as a traffic crash reconstructionist.
“I was that guy who wouldn’t say no. I said, ‘Yes, sir. May I have another?’ And I would do whatever needed to get done,” he said. “I got the opportunity because of that to do a lot. And I’m blessed for that.”
Longtime Sgt. Brad Kerns said he was honored to give the retirement speech for one of his closest and longtime friends, someone he calls “brother.”
“From day one, I’m talking, going through the hiring process together, medical evaluation appointments, that’s where I first met James,” Kerns said. “We grew a strong friendship and a bond that later became what I would refer to as a brotherhood.”
The two worked together for many years on evening shifts — one of Tonn’s favorite experiences — until he became a detective and Kerns went to the traffic unit.
“We always kept that bond. And still to this day,” Kerns said. “James was one of those guys that if you were struggling with something, it really helped having that peer support, somebody like James to sit down with.”
Tonn’s advocacy for mental health support defined his character and compassion he showed for others, helping kickstart the department’s peer support and crisis intervention groups. He pointed to a statistic saying for every officer who is diagnosed with PTSD, a thousand are out there working and suffering with it.
“I’ve seen officers do the bravest things every day, but the bravest thing they could ever do is to say, ‘Hey, I’m not okay. I needed to talk to somebody.'”
“We’ve lost officers to suicide and one is too many. If we don’t talk about it, we’re not going to talk about it,” Tonn said. “So somebody has to be the person that says, ‘Hey, you’re not yourself today. What’s going on?’ And mean that, not just lip service. You got to love people where they’re at.”
Tonn was also an esteemed member of the department’s honor guard, serving at ceremonies, public events and funerals to honor fallen officers and promote community trust, a position reserved for those with the highest professionalism and dedication.
As he looks ahead, Tonn is relishing the opportunity to spend more time with his wife and four children.
“I’m going to relax for a while. I’m going to enjoy taking care of myself and my family,” he said. “For a long time. I put that off … because we have to do the job. But, man, at the end of the day, family’s most important.”
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Creators at Marks Media film a Christmas Comedy at the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion.Courtesy of St. Joseph Museums on Instagram 
