Spend two minutes with Det. Nelson Dones and you know he is sharp. He's been with the NYPD's transit bureau keeping the subway trains safe for 31 years and now he's retiring.
"Missing the crowds, morning and evening, the sound of trains, as corny as that may seem," he said.
Det. Dones is a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed in 2000 with stage four lymphoma.
What worked was a bone marrow transplant from his brother. He got stronger, returned to work in 2005.
Over the weekend he made his last arrest, getting a known pickpocket.
A woman undercover was a decoy and the suspect took the bait and was immediately arrested by Det. Dones.
Dones shruggs it off as all in a day's work, but his coworkers say he is the best.
And he will tell you that you build your character with every passing hour.
