BEAUMONT, Texas — One of Beaumont's longest serving motorcycle cops spent Monday morning serving coffee instead of citations to help raise money for Toys for Tots.
Officer Kolin Burmaster will be retiring at the end of 2022, according to a Beaumont Police Department Facebook post. He has served as a Beaumont police officer since 1983.
He served coffee and sweet treats at Rao's Bakery on Calder Avenue in Beaumont to not only celebrate his retirement, but also help raise money for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots.
Burmaster joined the Marines in 1971 and continued to serve as a reservist after he started policing Beaumont in the eighties.
He retired from the Marines as a gunnery sergeant in 1995, after 24 years of active and reserve service.
During his time with the Beaumont Police Department he served 16 years as a patrol officer, 13 of which he was also a field training officer, before becoming a motorcycle officer.
Before becoming an officer, Burmaster was simply a big brother.
"There's five siblings in our family, Kolin being the oldest. He's always set that example of doing something doing it well, doing it to best of your ability, and the results is proof is in the pudding they say," said Officer Burmaster's brother, Kelley Burmaster.
Some would say becoming a motorcycle police officer was his destiny, stemming from the fact that his mother and father couldn't afford a car.
"They had an old Indian motorcycle with a side car. So, she would go back in forth to the doctor with me in the side car. So, I guess from the cradle to where I'm at right now," Officer Burmaster said.
Burmaster was involved at least three crashes during his time as a motorcycle patrol officer, but his most memorable moments are the positive ones.
"Burmaster is bald so I took some a red and pink glitter one time and i sprinkled it into his helmet and on the pad on his helmet. So, when he put his helmet on he had glitter on the top of his head and he had no idea," said longtime Beaumont Police Officer Bobby Rector.
Officer Burmaster is a loving family man, funny colleague, but above all, he's a cop who takes his job very seriously.
"There's an old saying it's called icky. It's a acronym impatience can kill you and a lot of times that takes place. Especially working the traffic unit where we make fatalities. Safety never takes a day off," he said.
Kolin Burmaster is excited about the next phase of of his life. He says even with all the positive moments, it has been overwhelming.
"I had no idea and whatever the man above has in store for me in the future. I hope it's just as rewarding," he said.
Officer Burmaster plans to continue focusing on his love of motorcycles upon his retirement. He wants to complete his bucket list goal of driving to Alaska in 7,500 miles.
Burmaster joined the Marines in 1971 and continued to serve as a reservist after he started policing Beaumont in the eighties.
He retired from the Marines as a gunnery sergeant in 1995, after 24 years of active and reserve service.
During his time with the Beaumont Police Department he served 16 years as a patrol officer, 13 of which he was also a field training officer, before becoming a motorcycle officer according to the release.
He spent most of his last 25 years on the force riding on two wheels and won numerous police motorcycle awards.
Burmaster also spent 20 years training other motorcycle officers and served on the department's honor guard for 27 years according to the release.
He was honored as the department's Officer of the Year twice and won the Distinguished Police Service Award three times.
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