The law enforcement community is mourning the death of Jeff Beecroft, a retired Great Falls police officer.
Beecroft passed away on Thursday, July 6, 2023, after a battle with stage four cancer.
The GFPD shared on Facebook: "Please know that Jeff made a difference in so many lives in our community and within the ranks of the GFPD. He positively impacted all of those he served with and for."
At a February 2023 fundraiser to help offset medical expenses associated with his diagnosis and treatment, his long-time friend and former fellow officer Rich Hollis said Beecroft was more than just a police officer, noting that his humanity and compassion had a huge impact.
“Jeff’s my best friend. We worked narcotics together. We worked drugs together. I'm a former policeman, so I try to back him and the blue the best that I can,” said Hollis.
The event was packed with friendly faces and people who had been emotionally touched by Jeff through the years - some even those you’d least expect.
Hollis said, “There's people here that he has arrested that have stopped by, put money in the donation box that are here doing a silent auction. So that will tell you, you know, he didn't go by that moment when he had to take them to jail. He went by the moment where he treated them like a person, and that's why they're here today.”
Beecroft served with the GFPD for 33 years, retiring just over a year ago.
