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 members in local law enforcement asked him to run for sheriff.
“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.
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.
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 and started his municipal law enforcement career.
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.
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 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.
“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 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 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 another pod just like the one they just built.”
Emergency Management is something that Watt says he has a strong background in. For the nine years he was a captain, he was also operations commander and emergency management coordinator for the City of Sherman.
“When disasters are going on, you respond. But when no disasters are going on, you’re planning every single day.” said Watt. “You’re reaching out to people who can help you during disasters. You’re getting equipment set up or you need 50,000 gallons of water from a store. I created the Emergency Management Plan for the city (Sherman) and because of that, I have connections all over Grayson County and can walk in to most government agencies and they will at least recall my name or face. Yes, I’m a law and order guy, but there’s a whole lot more to community standing and holding the rank of sheriff than just being a lawman.”
Watt, 57, says he’s old enough to have been there and done that but young enough to keep doing it. He says that he wants the voters to know that he brings to the office an ability to recruit and retain deputies and civilian employees, train them and hold people accountable to the training he provides and then determine how to best make them successful.
“If they’re successful, than I’m going to come across as successful. That skill set that I was so blessed to have been given by Chief Caylor now comes in to play. It is the perfect skill set for this organization to help them meet the challenges that are coming.” said Watt.
You can learn more about Tom Watt’s candidacy for Sheriff of Grayson County at http://tomwattforsheriff.com/. We will continue next week with our interviews of each candidate for Grayson County Sheriff.
