Chances are, if you live in Tiffin, Ohio, you may recognize the name Sergeant Robert Bour. That’s because Bour served 30 of his 32 years in law enforcement with the Tiffin Police Department before his retirement this past December.
Bour has been an OPBA member for over thirty years and his son, Adam, is also a member of the OPBA, having followed his father’s career path. While Adam has served with a handful of departments in Ohio (moving to support his wife, Madison’s, career as a doctor), he was recently sworn in as an officer with the neighboring city of Findlay.
No doubt having a police officer as a father was a big influence in Adam Bour’s life, and his taking up the “family trade” has been a badge of pride for Robert.
When asked about his son’s choice of career and whether he had considered others growing up, Bour shared, “The only things I remember him being truly interested in was farming and hunting, but he never had enough exposure to farming. He went to college for a year at Toledo University, but then decided he wanted to do law enforcement. I think he always kind of wanted to and now he's doing it.”

Pictured are Bour and his wife, Dawn, with Adam and his wife, Madison, celebrating their engagement in 2022.
Bour says he kept his own career fresh by changing “things up every five years or so”, including shift changes and being a Detective, bike patrol officer, SWAT operator, and his promotion to Sergeant in 2012. Yet, he was always happy to stay in Tiffin. We asked Bour what made Tiffin such a great place to work.
“The people in Tiffin and Seneca County are what makes it so special,“ said Bour, “It's a small tight knit community with relatively low crime rates. I grew up here. My wife and I have been blessed to raise three wonderful boys in this community. People in leadership positions have been successful with downtown revitalization. They listen to the needs of citizens and strive to provide for them. I've always said the size of Tiffin is perfect for a job in LE. It's small, but not too small, and I wouldn't have wanted to work in a larger city.”
On Bour’s last day, he had an unexpected surprise: his son was able to join in on his last radio call. You can watch the call and Bour’s reaction in this video.
His retirement party and last radio call, said Bour, “left such an impression that my last couple weeks on duty were the most emotional I've ever experienced. It left me realizing that I made a difference in people's lives which was very rewarding after having spent so much time doing this job.”
There are two types of retirees: those who are ready to kick up their heels and get some well-deserved relaxation and those who need to have “projects” to keep them busy and happy. We asked Bour how he planned to spend his retirement.
“At this stage, I'm definitely kicking back and relaxing to decompress for a couple months, but I plan on simply mowing grass for a company that I've worked for part time the past few summers. I have three adult boys who are all working on starting their own families. My first grandchild was born in August and I look forward to spending more time with my family for sure. I plan to remain a member of the OPBA and I will certainly take advantage of the OPBA Family Days to attend the Cleveland Guardians game if they continue to offer it.”
On behalf of the OPBA, we wish Rob a very happy retirement and success to his son, Adam, as he continues to build his career in law enforcement. And, yes, we do plan on hosting a Family Day at a Guardians game again this year; we look forward to seeing everyone there!

Pictured is Bour's Family. Left to Right: Alex (son), Dawn (wife), Robert, Ashton (son), Adam (son).