The local law enforcement community is remembering longtime Butler police officer Francis J. “Jack” Plaisted as a dedicated public servant and a man with a gift for gab.

Plaisted, 71, died Thursday in Crawford County. He would have celebrated his birthday Feb. 22.

“We were friends forever, and he was just a great guy,” said state Constable Bob Geagan of Butler. “He was always there for me anytime I needed anything (as constable).”

Plaisted served 32 years with the Butler Police Department, retiring in 2007 with the rank of captain.Being a policeman, however, was not a childhood dream, he shared in an interview with the Butler Eagle upon his retirement.But he developed an interest in police work while a member of Boy Scouts' Explorer Post 100 of Butler, sponsored by the state police.He graduated Butler High School in 1967, and served six years in the Navy. In 1973, he completed the police cadet course at Butler County Community College, and in 1974, he completed the Pennsylvania State Police Academy.That same year, he briefly worked as a Saxonburg police officer. He joined the Butler police force in 1975 as a patrolman.He steadily moved up the ranks, making sergeant in 1987, lieutenant in 1992 and captain in 1999. As captain and detective, among his duties was to investigate and prosecute serious crimes, including homicides and sexual assaults.At the tail end of his police career, his job consisted of administrative responsibilities and work for the state police Area IV Computer Crime Task Force.He also helped assemble the city police department's first computer network system and wrote several programs to track crime data for the force.“He was a good guy and a good supervisor,” said Butler police Lt. Brian Grooms, who joined the city police force in 2000 and worked with Plaisted for seven years. “He knew what he was doing.”Before his election as Butler County sheriff, Mike Slupe served more than 20 years as a Butler Township police officer. His and Plaisted's paths would occasionally cross while both wore the police badge.“He was always helpful. Experienced. All around a good guy,” Slupe remembered. “And a big bs'er.”Following his retirement from the police force, Plaisted briefly work as a Butler County tip staff.“Jack was always cool with me,” said Geagan, who has served as constable for more than 20 years. “He was a good cop. He was a people person, like me. He just got along with everybody.”In his 2007 interview, Plaisted admitted that he would miss performing police work once retired. But more than that, he said, he would miss working with his fellow brothers in blue.“The community doesn't know a lot about the guys — their education, their experience, their families,”he said.“People don't realize who they are and what they bring to the job. They're second to none.”Plaisted is survived by his wife, Carla Iannotti-Plaisted. They were married for 32 years and had four daughters, 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Jack Plaised