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Dedicated to His Profession, Officer Moon Takes
Pride that His Service has made a Difference in the
Lives of Others
With no small degree of excitement, the young
officer donned his uniform and checked his equipment
as he prepared for another shift of duty at the
Carroll County Sheriff's Department. It was the same
each time he put on the uniform: his pride and
enthusiasm were reflected in his eagerness to patrol
the streets of the county, ever vigilant to the
responsibilities of his station.Anthony Moon was
23 years |
Police Sergeant Anthony Moon's interest in law
enforcement led him to attain his G.E.D. in order to
join the Carroll County Sheriff's Department in the
mid-seventies. Since then, his service has touched
the lives of many across the county and led to his
marriage to former dispatcher Janice Spencer, who
shared with Tony the stress-reducing benefits of
camping. |
old and the father of three-year-old Jason when
friendships with others in law enforcement fueled his
first sparks of interest in the field. He began riding
patrol with them on weekends, during which time his
interest swelled into a passion.Born on June 12, 1949
in Dr. Edwards' office in McKenzie, Tony spent his early
years in the Christmasville / Pillowville communities. He
attended elementary school in Greenfield, then changed to
Trezevant schools after his first six years, during which
time his mother Rachel (now Rachel Reaves of McKenzie) and
stepfather Bradley Wilson added three sisters to the
family - Donna, Sandra and Teri. The girls are now Donna
Garner and Sandra Davidson of Carroll County and Teri
Rogulski, who lives in Michigan.
About the time Tony was ready to start high school, the
family moved to McKenzie. Tony and several of his friends
took to playing cards on Friday and Saturday evenings at
City Hall, which at the time was located across the street
from the current municipal center.
"We sat there a lot of nights all night long, playing
cards," Tony says, recalling McKenzie Police Officers
James Bratton and Jim Dick Crews among the officers the
boys would see on duty during their vigils.
Tony dropped out of school after the tenth grade, a
decision that came back to haunt him as his interest in
law enforcement grew into a desire to join the force. In
order to pursue his dream, he studied to earn his G.E.D.
while continuing to ride weekends with deputies at the
Carroll County Sheriff's Department.
After his election, Sheriff Douglas Brandon hired Tony
"to work the road." Tony began his field training in March
1975 and attended the Police Academy during the early
months of 1976, after which he went to work for the
McKenzie Police Department, working from the same City
Hall where he had spent so many evenings playing cards as
a youth.
Tony recalls working with then-Chief Jim Dick Crews and
Assistant Chief Rob Sydnor as well as current Police Chief
Harry Cooper, Raymond McDade, Dennis Taylor, Donald
Hutchison, Lawrence Earl Pate, and Hollis Hopper. He
laughs as he remembers one of his first night shifts with
Mr. Hopper, who was mouthing an unlit cigar.
"I smoked back then," begins Tony, who relates lighting
his own cigarette, then offering a light to Mr. Hopper.
"He said, 'Get that thing away from me, I wouldn't
light it for nothing!' laughs Tony. "He just always chewed
them up."
Three months later, Tony was back on the job in
Huntingdon after receiving an offer he couldn't refuse
from the Huntingdon Police Department. "I made more money
and I was living in Bruceton, so it cut my driving in
half," he explains.
He spent 18 and a half years on the Huntingdon Police
Force before returning to his roots in 1994 when he began
working once more with the Sheriff's Department. Five
years later, he made a final move to the Bruceton P.D., a
move that would change his life in ways he never expected.
Janice Spencer was Chief Dispatcher at the Bruceton
Police Department when Tony joined the force. The mother
of two grown daughters, Heather and Amanda, Janice had
moved to Westport from Michigan a few years earlier.
Over the years, Tony's son Richard Jason had also grown
into adulthood, working as a paramedic in Bruceton, while
another son, Charles Anthony, now 14, was born twenty
years after his first.
"He lives in Humboldt," says Tony, bragging that his
younger son will enter high school in the fall.
Tony and Janice married, merging families that now
include six grandchildren including Jason's three sons
(Colton, Shelton and Ethan) that Tony declares, "hit the
ground running," plus Heather's three children (Samantha,
Taylor and Ashley.)
Besides the tranquility of living in the peaceful rural
community of Westport (the winding drive through beautiful
country vistas is calming in its own right) Tony soon
learned to love Janice's favorite escape - camping.
"Janice and I go camping every weekend we're off that
we have an opportunity to go," says Tony, who shares the
pastime is "a way of life" for Janice, who grew up camping
with her family. "I've grown to enjoy it, we really like
it; we just relax and get away from everything," he
continues.
The pair tow their travel trailer to diverse
destinations like Land Between the Lakes and Natchez
Trace, locations renowned for lush woodlands, great
camping, fine fishing and more.
The couple just returned from a vacation, shared with
three of their grandchildren, to visit Janice's family in
Michigan, who live some 10-12 miles from Lake Huron. "We
went up there for two weeks; we go about every year," says
Tony who characterizes the northern locale as "beautiful
country" but "pretty cold".
Though retirement is still far from Tony's mind, he
acknowledges he will be nearing retirement age in just a
few years.
"I just want to get old enough to retire and camp some
more," he says, "If I can make it to 61, I will have been
in law enforcement for 38 years; that's long enough for
anybody."
The 33-year Mason also foresees becoming more active in
the Huntingdon Lodge, where he has been a member since the
early 1970s after joining the group in Hollow Rock and
Bruceton.
"It's like anything else; during different periods
you're more active depending on what else going on," he
says. "Right now I'm not (active) but I expect to be
again."
Both Janice and Tony are members of the Carroll County
chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, and Tony is a
member of the Democratic Executive Committee for Carroll
County.
The biggest change Tony has seen in law enforcement
over his first 30 years of service is the increase in drug
use.
"The drug problem has gotten increasingly worse," he
says soberly." That's the basis for a lot or most of our
criminal activity around here - drugs and alcohol. We've
got a lot of prescription stuff, marijuana, cocaine, crack
cocaine, and methamphetamines - that's crank. I'm sure we
have some heroin, too, but we don't see that a whole lot
or I don't see it a whole lot."
He recalls his own childhood, when alcohol was the
largest influence among his peers. "I was really lucky in
my age group," he relates. "We had other stuff back then -
I had heard of it - but now kids go to school with it. The
first marijuana I ever saw was when I went to work for the
Sheriff's Department."
Despite working for rural law enforcement agencies,
Tony says, "We've done it all - everything from bank
robbery and murder."
Investigation has been one of Tony's favorite duties,
though large cases - such as the robbery of Liberty
Federal Bank and murder cases - are frequently assigned to
the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
"Most of the time the D.A. (District Attorney General)
wants the T.B.I. to work those and we assist," says Tony,
explaining the T.B.I. have more experience and access to
greater resources.
"There's been some interesting stuff and there has been
some bad stuff," he says, considering both crime and
accident scenarios. "One of the bad things in a community
like we've got here is, you're dealing with people you
know and that makes it hard. Used to every time there was
a bad wreck, I'd think, 'Where are my children...?' The
likelihood of you knowing the victims is pretty good."
Tony credits law enforcement as the inspiration that
led him to complete his high school education, and above
that, led to the opportunity to meet many of the people he
has served during his career.
And if the excitement of putting on the uniform has
waned over 30 years, perhaps it is only because it has
penetrated more deeply into the core of the man Tony Moon
has become.
"I don't know who," he says, searching for words to
express the desires of his heart, "but over my career,
I've changed some things; helped some people along the
way. I've touched some people, helped some people." |
