After 32½ Years in Law Enforcement, Alpena Sgt. Mark Bluck Leaves Behind a Sergeant Vacancy

After 28 years with the Alpena Police Department and 32½ years in law enforcement, Sgt. Mark Bluck has retired, leaving behind both a celebrated career and an open sergeant position within the department.

Bluck’s final official day was Sept. 11. He marked the occasion with a retirement luncheon involving city staff before Alpena Police Chief Eric Hamp recognized him during the Alpena Municipal Council’s regular Monday meeting.

Hamp told council members that Bluck’s departure marked “the end of an incredible career in law enforcement.” The chief described Bluck’s service to Alpena as defined by dedication, professionalism and commitment.

A career built across patrol, investigations and training

Bluck joined the Alpena Police Department in January 1998 after graduating from the Wayne County Regional Police Academy and spending 4½ years with the Northfield Township Police Department. His combined law-enforcement experience totaled 32½ years.

During his Alpena career, Bluck worked in a range of patrol and specialty assignments. Hamp said he served as a patrol sergeant, field sobriety instructor, evidence technician, field training officer, weapons armorer and firearms instructor.

Those roles connected Bluck to daily patrol work, crime-scene evidence, firearms readiness and the training of new officers. Hamp said the experience accumulated over more than three decades would be the most difficult part of Bluck’s retirement to replace.

When asked what he was most proud of, Bluck said there was no single answer. He pointed to his involvement in the Aaron Trout and Lori Grotto investigations, while emphasizing that he was part of larger teams. He also cited his work as an evidence technician and firearms instructor, as well as his promotion to sergeant.

“There are many. That is a difficult question to answer. There are many things I am proud of,” Bluck said.

But the assignment Bluck returned to most strongly was field training. He said helping new officers learn proper procedures and continuing to guide and encourage them as their careers developed was the work he valued most.

“I think being a field training officer is what I’m most proud of,” Bluck said. “Being able to train new officers in the proper ways and continuing to provide them with guidance and inspiration as they progress in their careers.”

Chief Hamp was among the officers Bluck trained

Bluck’s influence extended directly to the department’s current leadership. Hamp joined the Alpena Police Department in 2003 and became chief in 2023. He said he had worked with Bluck since he was hired and that Bluck was one of the field training officers who taught him the job.

“I’ve worked with Sgt. Bluck since the time I was hired. He was one of my field training officers when I hired on,” Hamp said.

Hamp said Bluck trained many officers and embraced that responsibility for years. In a department where local knowledge and established procedures matter, field training helped shape officers who later became part of Alpena’s ranks, including the current chief.

Bluck’s supervisory and technical duties also helped support the department’s operations. As a patrol sergeant, he supervised shifts while maintaining specialty certifications. His work as an evidence technician required careful handling of details at crime scenes, while his firearms-related assignments helped maintain department readiness.

Internal promotion process already underway

Bluck’s retirement has created a vacancy in the Alpena Police Department’s sergeant ranks. Hamp said the department has already begun the promotional process and plans to select Bluck’s replacement from within the department.

“Mark’s retirement has left a vacancy in the sergeant ranks,” Hamp said. “The promotional process has already started, and the replacement sergeant will come from within the ranks.”

That internal process will determine who takes on the supervisory responsibilities Bluck held after decades of patrol, specialty assignments and officer training.

Bluck has not settled on a single retirement plan. He said his next step remains open, but he is considering purchasing a larger boat and obtaining a charter license.

“As for my retirement plans, right now they are kind of wide open,” he said. “However, I have been considering getting a bigger boat and my charter license.”

For now, Bluck’s law-enforcement career ends with formal recognition from the city, an internal succession process under way and a legacy centered not only on investigations and technical expertise, but also on the officers he helped train.