‘He was like a bulldog.’ Former Jackson police lieutenant Frank Miller remembered for his dedication

JACKSON, MI – Frank Miller was hard-working and dedicated to serving the Jackson community through his job with the Jackson Police Department.

Miller was committed to furthering the department’s reach in the community by developing an Honor Guard. And he kept the history of the department alive, even after he retired from the force in 1976. Miller, who served 22 years, died Saturday, Feb. 5. He was 89.

“His service, even during his retirement, was a huge benefit to the department,” Jackson Director of Police and Fire Services Elmer Hitt said.

During his time as an officer, Miller narrowly escaped with his life when he and another officer were kidnapped while on duty in 1961. From there, Miller worked his way up in the department, serving as a sergeant and lieutenant.

Related: Peek Through Time: Jackson officers narrowly escape with their lives in 1961 kidnapping

During his time as a lieutenant, Miller was known as a leader who pushed his officers to be the best they could be, said Kent Maurer, Jackson’s deputy chief until retiring in 2001.

When Maurer started out as a city police officer in the 1990′s, he was working second shift with Miller until
Miller retired. He remembers Miller commanding a lot of respect from his peers, and working the officers to be perfect in their work, he said.

“He ran a tight ship on his shift,” Maurer said.

With his service in the U.S. Navy from 1948-53, Miller’s standards for the force were high, and he made sure the officers met those standards, Maurer said.

“Whenever he called on the radio, there was this certain tension that I felt, and I don’t think he minded that,” Maurer said. “That he was out and about, and you better be doing it right.”

After Miller’s retirement, he still managed to find ways to impact the police department. Over the years, the Jackson Police Department honor guard had lost a sense of leadership, and Maurer had an itch to get it back into shape, he said.

So, he called Miller for some help. Knowing Miller’s work on the force, on the honor guard and in the military, Maurer knew he was the right man for the job, he said.

“He was spit and polish,” Maurer said.

Former Jackson Police Chief Matt Heins served on the honor guard for a short time under Miller’s leadership. Many of the members did not have military experience, Heins said, and Miller put in extra time to make sure they were following the correct protocols for funerals and parades.

“He was working from the ground up,” he said. “(He taught them) this is how you march, this is how you present arms, this is how you stand at attention.”

While his work seemed demanding at times, Heins said, Miller made the Jackson honor guard a professional and well-known program.

“It developed a bit of a reputation,” Heins said. “It has a long history with the Jackson Police Department, and it all started with Frank Miller – he put his heart and soul into that program.”

After hanging up his hat from the honor guard, Miller became the volunteer historian for the police department, a job he took seriously, Heins said.

“He would spend hours sorting through documents accumulated over the years, looking for information about the department,” Heins said.

Miller spent a lot of time keeping track of former officers, the building and any bit of information someone would want to know about the department, Hitt said.

“One of the biggest benefits is when families would reach out and want information about somebody that used to work here,” Hitt said. “He would do what he could to get the answers people were looking for.”

Some of Miller’s favorite projects as a historian included tracking down the history of women working in the department, along with finding African American history within it, Heins said.

Miller was dedicated to telling the stories of the police department, Heins said.

“He was like a bulldog. He wouldn’t stop (researching),” Heins said.

Miller is survived by his wife of 65 years, Shirley; children Debbie (Dave) Radde and Jim (Shantel) Miller, four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Cremation has taken place and there will be no service, per Miller’s request.

Read his full obituary here.

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