Witty, determined, and utterly authentic, Larry Jacobson is a Jackson County deputy who has worked in the community for 11 years. In that time, he has brought humor and a sense of understanding to those in the community that he serves to protect. The Concord Chronicle wanted to shed light on this community hero.

Jacobson started his journey at Hanover Horton Schools, where he was a student until ninth grade. But after a millage failure and losing all extracurricular activities, he transferred to Lumen Christi, where he finished his high school education in 1985. After high school, Jacobson spent two years at Jackson College, and then transferred to Western Michigan University to go back online to gain his masters in creative writing.

He never thought he would be an officer, but his friend convinced him to give it a chance. After learning they needed people, he decided to go through the police academy, which led him to more law enforcement jobs. It would start his journey to becoming a county deputy. He worked as a reserve officer volunteer part-time for four years. After the academy, he became an officer for the city of Jackson for 12 years.

Following that time working on the force, Jacobson found himself burnt out, so he went to work for JTV, which he greatly enjoyed. In the spring of 2015, Jacbobson returned to the force and took up patrolling Concord as a deputy. Ever since then, he has greatly valued working in the community: “My favorite part is interacting with the kids. Even the grade school kids… it keeps me young and reminds me of my boys when they were young.” 

Out of all the people in his life, Jacobson’s role model is his father, Jake, whom he even considers his hero. Recalling memories, his father wasn’t over the top, not a yeller, but a guider. He learned many lessons about not jumping to conclusions, having  patience, and being prepared to be an adult. Sadly, his father passed away in 2004, but every single day, he thinks of his father. Taking the lessons his father taught him, he has made some of his own: “The whole world needs to take a deep breath. And realize that none of us is going through what the person next to us is going through.” Jacobson wanted students to know, “There is a song called Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann… where he says in the song, ‘Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth. Until they’ve faded.’ You gotta enjoy everything right now, don’t take life so seriously.”

Behind the badge, Jacobson enjoys a solitary life. With that, his hobbies are extensive. Currently, Jacobson plans to work more on his garden, where he plants a variety of plants, including his favorite: flowers. On top of all of his hobbies, he enjoys the classic horror and sci-fi movie genre and conspiracy theories, like those about aliens. He plans to take a trip out to Nevada to see Area 51, and take more trips around to see old mysterious sights. Jacobson also has a knack for writing. Ever since he was a kid, Jacobson enjoyed writing above all else. He would write about anything and everything that struck him as inspiring. As he’s aged, he has continued that passion by publishing his own books. In Doorway Fiction, Jacobson shows off his creative genius and has even linked to his podcast that he is working on.  

His long-time friend Matt Heins remembers back when they were kids. Jacobson would constantly be writing stories wherever they went. Going back in time to one of his fondest memories in middle school, Heins shares, “Larry’s one of the first people I met. We would have spent the night at his house frequently, and he would work on some of his stories. We would brainstorm what he should put in them.” 

After all their years together, Heins never once felt like he had to be someone else with Jacobson. He learned from Jacobson that “we can’t take life too seriously” and “to have the ability to laugh at myself”. On top of that, even if they didn’t chat for a while, they still picked up where they left off, like no time had been spent apart. Feeling grateful to have had such a great relationship with him even after a long time, “he’s a pretty open book. If you ever meet Larry, you are never left guessing… Larry’s just Larry and that trait is hard to find.”  

English teacher Amy Kelly has known Jacobson since they were children, as their parents were friends. She has many “fond memories of cutting Christmas trees together on winter evenings with our families, sharing meals, playing games, and sledding.” During her first year at Concord, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that Jacobson was a deputy in the community. Drawing on years of her own personal experience, Kelly emphasizes the character traits that define him and his role in the community: “Larry is and always has been an example of kindness. We are blessed to have him in our midst as a protector and role model.” 

Another teacher, Mike Jurasek, the global current events teacher, has known Jacobson for about 10 years. Jacobson even “comes into my classroom quite often, we call it law with Larry day,” where he teaches students about laws and what’s going on out in the real world. In those years, he has seen his compassion for others and his understanding of nature. Jurasek is inspired by “his patience and sense of humor, trying to understand others without giving them a hard time about it, [which]makes him an asset to our community.”

Sophomore Allie Morris remembers back when she was in elementary where she remembers that students who had good grades or good work were given rewards. On of them being lunch with Jacobson. One of the lunches she won with other students involved heading to Marino’s. While they were there, she remembered “his funny jokes. My sister Paige (a Concord graduate of 2025) had offered to open the 2 liter of soda after Jacobson had asked if anyone wanted to. She had told him she had never opened one, so he encouraged her to open it.  She was surprised to find that it had been shaken up and spilled all over. Everyone had laughed it off, even Jacobson.”

It was an honor to write about Larry Jacobson and share his story. Concord is forever grateful for his dedication to keeping the community safe, and Concord wishes him well in his future endeavors.