SHERMAN, TX -- Sherman Police Chief Tom Watt announced his retirement Wednesday, after 31 years with the department.
Watt said he'll miss the job - but he'll miss the people on the force even more.
"There's an incredibly strong workforce here. Good strong integrity based people here - a lot of good friends," he said. "They're kinda like an extended family to me."
Watt joined the Sherman Police force in 1981. In 2004, the department named him police chief.
"I feel like I brought the agency - along with a lot of other people - we brought the agency a long ways," he said.
A lot has changed in the three decades he's been here, he said.
"Obviously computers," he said. "When I hired on here we didn't have computers in the cars. We didn't have work stations at your beck and call."
But after 31 years, he said it's time to let the next person take over.
"Actually gonna do a little bit of traveling. Spend some time with my family," he said. "My daughter's married to a young man in the Air Force, and they're stationed up in Alaska. So we'll be on the road a little bit."
Lieutenant Bob Fair and Watt became partners not long after Watt joined the force.
"You couldn't have asked for a better partner. Let's put it that way," he said. "I mean, he always had my back, I had his, and we made sure that we got the business done."
Fair said his favorite memory was the time they tried to coax a man with felony warrants out of a house, so they could arrest him. He said they knew the homeowner wouldn't open the door for police.
"So they asked who was there, and we just said it was the pizza delivery guys," he said.
But with Watt announcing his retirement, it's time for them to find a replacement. Which means things will be slightly different around the Sherman Police Department.
"Yeah, it's always exciting looking at who's coming in to take over, and the direction that they're gonna take the department," Fair said.
And Watt's confident they'll find a great successor.
"We spent a lot of time, training and money creating a good, strong succession plan," Watt said.
Watt's last day with the Department will be March 15.
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