The former police homicide detective has faced the steely gaze of hardened criminals in Tasmania and on the mainland and said his decades of public service had not taken an emotional toll.

"I have never let any of that [criticism, or the emotional toll of working on crimes] get to me, I have always been that way....I've had death threats, from my years of policing, but also over the fox thing in Tasmania, for sure I've had death threats," he said.

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"But I've never been one to let that get to me, it's never really bothered me."

Mr Dean was a skeptic of the perception foxes were in Tasmania and had often criticised public funds being spent on the Fox Free Taskforce in 2006.

Despite the crushing pressure of a life in the spotlight, Mr Dean said he was proud to have served his community in his roles in the police force, as well as the City of Launceston Mayor and Legislative Councillor for Windermere.

His service is being recognised this year with an AM for this year's Queens Birthday Honours, for his contribution to political life, along with policing.

Mr Dean said he didn't know who had nominated him, and while he had been critical of these types of awards in the past, he was honoured and humbled to be recognised.

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"I would really like to know who nominated me, so I can thank them," he said.

Mr Dean said he didn't think anyone should simply be recognised for doing their job and he believed there were others more worthy of recognition than himself, but he was still humbled.

His early career was focused on the police force, where he spent in various roles for 36 years, including 18 years as a detective and eight years as a police prosecutor. Mr Dean was also seconded to the New South Wales homicide squad, the Australian Institute of Police Management in NSW and was a Northern District Police Commander in Launceston.

He said he particularly recalls staring down a then-alleged murderer during a homicide investigation in NSW.

"It's one that always comes back to me. I always remember the steely gaze from him as we sat across the table. Those looks would kill," he said.

Closer to home, Mr Dean said he was most proud of his work on an armed hold-up case at Devonport's Elimatta Hotel in the 1980s.

"One of the major investigations I did in Devonport was a hold-up of the Elimatta Hotel. Hostages were taken, they [the offenders] had one of them bundled up in the boot of a car, then they put another one inside the car and carted them around to deter police from chasing them," he said.

"That was a pretty horrific experience. We investigated that for five years. We kept on it. I had to fight some of the senior people in the police to tell them to give it [the investigation] a go and we continued to investigate and eventually we got them, after five years."

For his dogged determination on the case, Mr Dean was awarded a special commendation from Tasmania Police for his work.

However, it's not for the accolades that Mr Dean has done anything in his life. Motivated by a desire to give back to his community, after decades in the police force, he decided to take on public life in a new way - on the council.

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A stint as the Mayor of Launceston dipped his toes into the water of public office and soon after Mr Dean also took won office in the Legislative Council.

He was busy holding dual roles, as an alderman on the City of Launceston Council and Legislative Councillor for seven years, two as mayor.

In hindsight, he said, he probably wouldn't do it again, and he had some words of advice for people seeking a life in politics or public office.

"Never forget your family. It doesn't matter how committed you are, and I would change my life again. Throughout my career I was here, there and everywhere, and while I have a good relationship with my boys I did miss out on them growing up a bit, and I would change that," he said.

However, he said he was proud of his career and particularly his work on the public accounts committee and in the Legislative Council.

His one regret? Not getting the SmokeFree21 legislation to pass Parliament, where he was seeking to raise the smoking age to 21 and restrict access.

Mr Dean is now retired and spending time with his wife, his sons and grandchildren.

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