In 1995, Officer Mike Keegan, at that time a 22-year veteran with the Alexandria Police Force, began working with the City’s senior population. He has done so with compassion and enthusiasm for almost 10 years. Officer Keegan retired from the City’s Police Department in December, and will be truly missed by countless seniors.
Officer Keegan spent many hours at the St. Martin de Porres Senior Center, greeting the seniors on Thursday mornings.
As they arrived Officer Keegan was waiting to greet each and every person with a friendly smile and more often than not, a joke to make them laugh. He would chat with everyone to catch up on what was going on in their lives. Officer Keegan would update the seniors on the latest scams and advise them how to handle unsolicited phone calls or an unexpected knock from a stranger at their door.
He gave countless presentations on crime prevention and was always available to answer questions and update the seniors on neighborhood issues.
Not only did Officer Keegan visit the local senior centers on a regular basis, if a staff person was concerned about a senior, he would go to their home to check on their welfare. If a senior needed information, Officer Keegan would make sure he got back to them as soon as possible. He would even spend some of his own personal time working with the seniors. Because of his friendly and unassuming manner, seniors would go to Officer Keegan with concerns about their community.
Officer Keegan was a regular visitor at the Charles Houston Senior Center, and was one of the strongest advocates for the annual Dance For All Ages, to be held this year on March 11 at T.C. Williams High School. Bringing the students and seniors together for an evening of dance and fun was very important to Officer Keegan.
We thank Officer Keegan from the bottom of our hearts, and wish he and his wife all the best as they start a new phase of their lives in Harrisonburg, Va.
For information about the St. Martins Senior Center call 703-751-2766.