Lt. Joseph Bell, the commander of the NYPD's Highway District 5, has retired after 37 years with the force, retiring with a traditional walkout ceremony and a successful career that included escorting four US presidents and Pope John Paul II. Bell, who joined the department in 1989, worked his way up the ranks, earning a promotion to sergeant in 1996 and lieutenant in 2000 before taking over the elite highway unit. He also served as part of a presidential motorcade escort, which he called the highest honor. Despite retiring, Bell plans to restore a vintage 1962 Corvette and travel.