A small crowd gathered in the lobby of the Garvin County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon to celebrate a retirement 46-years in the making.
As Garvin County Sheriff Jim Mullett held out his handheld radio, those gathered grew quiet as they listened to the radio squawk and a Garvin County dispatcher began the ceremonial Last Call, a tradition marking the retirement of a career law enforcement officer.
“Attention all units. Today we recognize the retirement of Garvin 22, Deputy Jeff Jarman,” the broadcast from dispatch rang out, as Jarman stood silently in the center of the hall. “For the past 46 years he has faithfully worn the badge, protecting his community with honor dedication and integrity. Today he concludes an extraordinary law enforcement career with the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office.”
Jarman began his career in law enforcement in 1980 as an officer with the Pauls Valley Police Department. It was a profession he had grown up with, he said, in a family where his father and grandfather both served as Pauls Valley police officers.
Between 1980 and 1988 he spent two years working for an agency in neighboring Pontotoc County and four years at the Garvin County Sheriff’s Department. He returned to the PVPD in 1988, when his father, who had been Pauls Valley’s Police Chief for years, retired. He remained there until his own retirement from the department in 2008.
“When I retired from Pauls Valley, I didn’t plan on going back into law enforcement,” Jarman said.
But within months he was presented with the opportunity to serve as a school resource officer, first in Stratford and later in Pauls Valley.
Jarman was working in a security-related job when the opportunity for his current position as a Garvin County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the courthouse came open. For the last six years he has spent much of his time making sure the courthouse is secure and manning the metal detector system at the courthouse’s one public entrance.
“Honestly, I didn’t know if I’d like sitting in the hallway or not, but I really love it,” Jarman said. “I get to visit with lots of people. I see lots of people that I haven’t seen in a long time, and I’ve met a lot of new people. That’s made it interesting.”
Over the years, Jarman has had the opportunity to teach other law enforcement officers both through reserve academies and as a firearms instructor, a duty that also led him into competitive shooting, which he did for many years.
“That was probably the highlight, was being an instructor. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that,” Jarman said. “I have met people from all over and from all different branches of law enforcement.”
All but two years of Jarman’s 46-year career have been served in Garvin County, and he said he feels blessed to have been able to work in his home community.
“It’s been a fun career, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Jarman said.
At the same time, anyone who spends 46 years in the same profession is bound to see change, and Jarman admits his profession is not the same job today as it was when he started.
“It’s just different. It’s a whole different world,” Jarman said.
When asked about the toll a job in law enforcement can take on an officer and the sacrifice required, Jarman grows thoughtful and says the job affects different people in different ways.
“I have been very fortunate that my family has been very supportive of my career,” Jarman said.
Though he is retiring from law enforcement, he said he still plans to work, just at a different type of job.
“I want to do something different. This is all I’ve ever done. I’m 65 years old and I want to go do something different, while I still can,” he said.
As Jarman stood quietly and listened to that End of Watch call in the hushed first floor lobby of the courthouse Wednesday afternoon, he subtly wiped the emotion from his face with a hand.
“Your commitment has left a lasting mark on this profession and on Garvin County. On behalf of the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office, our brothers and sisters in law enforcement and the citizens of Garvin County, thank you for your decades of sacrifice and service,” the dispatchers voice echoed through the hall. “We wish you and your family many years of health, happiness and well-deserved rest. Garvin County 22, after 46 years of answering the call, your final shift has come to an end. May your roads be safe, your days be peaceful and your legacy continue through those who follow in your footsteps. Garvin 22, thank you for your service.”
Click here to see video of the Last Call as it was dispatched for Jarman Wednesday.
