91-year-old LaBelle deputy retires after decades in law enforcement

LABELLE, Fla. (WINK)—The entire Hendry County Sheriff's Office responded to a call that wasn't a shooting or a stabbing, but to say goodbye to a 91-year-old law enforcement veteran.

Deputies honored Donald Munch, who is retiring after 25 years of running background checks for the Hendry County Sheriff's Office. Before that, he worked undercover in New York.

WINK News was the only news outlet invited to the retirement celebration. Munch's job has been to judge character, a skill those who work with him say he has mastered.

"He's a good people reader," said Cindy West, a colleague at the sheriff's office.

At 91, Munch isn't afraid to speak his mind. When asked about his favorite part of being in law enforcement, he said his favorite part was "arresting assholes," drawing laughter from the crowd.

The people who affectionately call him Mister Munch aren't afraid to speak their minds about him either. Sheriff Steve Whidden described him as "such a class act."

"He's one-in-a-million, one-of-a-kind," West said.

Capt. Susan Harrelle added that the department loves Munch. For his colleagues, the background check on Munch is easy—he's funny, kind and a sort of father figure who helped hand-pick the next generation of deputies.

"He's got a lot of new faces that he's kind of brought into our world," West said. "And they've learned a lot from him, too."

When it was time for the 91-year-old to retire, pretty much the entire department showed up for a surprise. Young, old and everyone in between stopped to say goodbye.

"You know how to make a grown-man cry," Munch said during the celebration.

"They represent what the agency is, good, honest, straight, hard working people," Munch said.

One man's character is now reflected by dozens of people who patrol the streets of Hendry County. Harrelle said Munch sets a standard that everyone could follow.

Munch isn't giving up police work entirely. The sheriff's office says he plans to come back and volunteer part-time.