After serving as UW-Eau Claire’s police chief since 1991, David Backstrom said it is time to move on and get a sense of closure from law enforcement.

Today, Backstrom will retire from his position, marked by a small celebration open to faculty and students from 1 to 3 p.m. in Crest Wellness Center.

Backstrom said his feelings during his last days on the job have been mixed, but he is ready to retire.

“It’s time for me to move on,” he said. “Leaving is easy because we have very talented police officers (to keep the campus safe).”

Backstrom’s love for law enforcement dates back to his senior year of high school. He had written an English paper on a potential future career, and law enforcement was the most appealing to him.

After high school, Backstrom’s life took a different route when he volunteered for the Vietnam War in 1966.

Serving as a medic in Danang, Vietnam, Backstrom realized he wanted to do his part in the community where he had spent most of his life. Once his time overseas concluded, he returned to Eau Claire to pursue his goal of becoming police chief.

“Vietnam had a lasting effect on me,” Backstrom said. “It played a key role in where I wanted to go once I got out of the military.”

Before obtaining the police chief position, though, Backstrom held a variety of law enforcement positions. He was a police officer, a detective, a sergeant, a lieutenant and a commander of a specialized group.

“It wasn’t until I walked my way through my career … that I decided somewhere along the line I’d like to be a chief,” he said.

As police chief, Backstrom has many responsibilities, but his primary concerns have been safety and training other police officers, he said.

These two concerns coincided; he led officers in training education for the safety of students and faculty.

While in this position, he also had an effect on those he worked with, said senior Danielle Fields, a student receptionist for the University Police.

“Whenever you had a concern, he was always right there to answer you,” Fields said. “He has the ability to stay calm in any situation.”

Another trait Fields commented on was Backstrom’s sense of humor. She said he was big on using humor in his job.

“It’s really easy in law enforcement … to lose your sense of humor because of the variety of things you encounter,” Backstrom said. “You really have to have a piece of humor about you (to be affective).”

Chancellor Donald Mash, Vice Chancellor Andy Soll and Associate Vice Chancellor Bill Harms will determine Backstrom’s replacement. Until they make their decision, Lt. David Sprick will be the interim police chief.

“(Backstrom) will be a very tough director of University Police to replace,” Harms said. “We are a very safe campus thanks to him.”

Come Friday, Backstrom said he plans to spend time doing the things he didn’t have much time for during his job, such as recreational running. He already has run the Boston Marathon twice.

“I’ll take in all the things I wanted to do,” Backstrom said. “God will send me a plan.”