6 minute read
Tom Watt ready for Sheriff race
members in local law enforcement asked him to run for sheriff and started his municipal law enforcement career
"To be quite honest, I was actually enjoying retirement, but I was called off of the sideline and told to get back in the game." said Watt.
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Watt and his wife of 33 years, Debbie were a part of the Howe community for around ten years Watt even served as the president of the Howe Athletic Booster Club in 2001-02 Both of his children, Sarah and John, were graduates of Howe High School.
Watt has spent most of his life in Grayson County. Born the son of an Air Force man, Watt spent his early childhood in Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey before landing in Denison due to not enough housing on Perrin Air Force Base He attended Central Elementary School in Denison He then attended Sherman schools through high school with the exception of one year in New Mexico.
Retired Sherman Police Chief Tom Watt is not living the normal retired life of golf courses and rocking chairs Not only is he currently serving as a city councilman for the City of Sherman, but Watt also decided to enter the race for Grayson County Sheriff in December which is coming open due to the retirement of longtime Sheriff Keith Gary Watt, on his third stop of the day, had some information that he wanted to give to the voters of Grayson County for the election coming up in early 2016
Watt retired as police chief in Sherman in March of 2013 and says that his strong passion for law enforcement is just in his blood and that several
When the school was reworking the water lines at Bulldog Stadium, Watt came to realize after talking with Steve Simmons that the coaches were putting in 80 hours a week That's when Watt decided he and Debbie could give some of their time as well and combine to take on the role as president of the booster club
"We were also involved in the band boosters because of Elmer Schenk " said Watt "That guy walked on water as far as the kids were concerned."
Watt's law enforcement career started in the military police corps while in the US Army for three years He joined the Army in 1976 and was a corrections officer from 1976-79 in Fort Riley, Kansas 1st Infantry Division Once leaving the Army, he came to Sherman, Texas
After high school and the three years in the Army, Watt went to Grayson College and obtained Associated Degree in Law Enforcement Later, he received his Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Watt started a 31-year career with the Sherman Police Department He was a patrol officer for 10 years before being promoted to sergeant
"That's where my career in law enforcement management and administration really began taking off." said Watt.
During his time as sergeant, from 1991-95, Watt started the training office and then started the internal affairs office After that office became fully functional, the opportunity came open for continued on Page #3
Watt to test for the rank of lieutenant He obtained that rank and held that title for 11 months as a shift commander on afternoons He then tested and obtained the rank of captain
Tom Watt (far right) as a member of Sherman's SWAT team. administrator" said Watt "I was mentored and trained by my chief (Jerry Caylor) at the time He saw to it that I went to every management training, administration, leadership program that I could possible go to "
"In a city like Sherman, a civil service city, there are no political promotions " said Watt "No one touches you with a wand and says you were a sergeant and now you're a lieutenant. You have to work your way through the ranks and earn it."
Watt was a captain from October 1995 to September of 2004.
"That was the point in my career that I began learning bout being an
In September of 2004, Watt was promoted to chief of police and held that position until retiring in 2013
"I retired on my own " said Watt "I just felt like I had done what I could do to bring that organization to the next level of excellence beyond what Chief Caylor had done. When I decided to get into the race for the Sheriff's office, that was my goal; to take some of the things Sheriff Gary has done and bring the Grayson
County Sheriff's Office to the next level of excellence "
Watt says that he wants to create an environment where employees love coming to work and feel respected and valued to the organization. He says that the Sherman Police Department was a family environment and wants to bring that same approach to the Sheriff's Office.
Grayson County will experience issues with population growth that it has never experienced before according to Watt
"I think we're going to have a lot more diversity in that population " said Watt "That growing population will have a tremendous impact on the population in the jail If you're not a good strong business person and understand the business of law enforcement and how to properly administrate and manage the resources that you have, I think you'll be in trouble. It's kind of cliche to say, but, (I've) been-there-done-that in law enforcement."
Watt says that he was in charge of the budget for the Sherman Police Department and is experienced with large budgets The Sherman Police Department budget was around
$7 5 million annually The Grayson County Sheriff's budget is $10 million
Watt says that the Grayson County Jail commands 65 percent of the Sheriff's budget. He says that the jail will be the most challenging issue over the next 10 years. Sheriff Gary asked Watt to sit on the committee implemented in 2004 to determine whether or not the county needed a new jail The results of the committee were that they needed more space, but they also came up with programs to keep people out of the jail such as the drug court, which is a successful program that allows an individual with a minor drug violation to "graduate" from a program instead of tax payers spending dollars on them to sit in jail
Watt says that he doesn't see the jail moving from the downtown area. He was given a personal guided tour of the jail by Sheriff Gary when entering the race in December.
"He convinced me that there is no other place for the jail other than where it's at " said Watt "They built that new pod and there is room in the current setting for continued from Page #2 continued on Page #14
Continued from Page #1 efforts of the community leaders such as Jean Norman, JC and Carrie Waller, Norma Wallace couldn't raise enough of the costly resources to renovate the old structure
After the Historical Society folded, the city was left with the old structure that sits in its current state of decay
In 2010, the city contracted Oak Hill Contractors to provide a detailed estimate to renovate the asbestos-filled structure. That estimate came to a total of $693,200 of which $56,000 was profit from the renovation
City Administrator Joe Shephard says that the city does not have the amount required to restore the facility and that even the grants that are available from different state agencies normally require a substantial amount of matching funds that would seriously tie up cash flow for the city.
Per the gift requirements, the city cannot sell the property or give it away. It is the same type of agreement that was made for Ferguson Field.
The church is the only one left of the four Howe Protestant churches that were similarly built in the same period of time Each of the other similar structures were eventually torn down for newer sanctuaries
However, the First Christian Church dwindled and a new sanctuary was never realized
According to an article written by Hazel Bearden Rutherford The First Christian of Howe was founded by early Texans including George Miller, J.A. Hughes, Henry Stevens and others.
As stated, the church was erected in 1893 The lot was purchased from J.T. and Minnie B. Simpson for $350, and the building was erected soon after the land was purchased The ground was leveled by Tas Gee and the building was constructed by Charlie Hanna, J W Bearden, John Grigg and his son Frank I Grigg
The pulpit, which was recently restored and is now at the Howe Community Center, was given to the church by the Governor of Texas, Charles A Culberson, who was a friend of J.A. Hugues, one of the church members
During the church's many years of existence, numerous revivals were held in the church yard beneath some beautiful silver maple trees.
The church celebrated its 75th anniversary before the church closed in 1982 because of a decline in membership
