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Gary
Monday, February 15, 2016
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were on the way out.
background, there's no need to interview anybody else. As far as While the family lived in Corpus I'm concerned, you'll be our Christi, he earned a Master's Degree Marshal." So he went back to the in Criminal Justice from Texas Marshal job in Tyler and spent A&M, then completed another eight years doing that. bachelor's degree as a Chemical Dependency Counselor through a By then it was 1994 and he distance learning program from the decided to retire and return to University of New York. Grayson County. Gary and wife Uva tried to buy a lot in Howe, but "I liked law enforcement so much couldn't find one and finally found that I decided to stay in the field. I a builder for a house in Sherman. became a Federal Probation officer, He was approached about being but had to be stationed in Corpus Sheriff of the County, ran for Christi, where the vacancy was and Sheriff and was the first we lived there for three years. I Republican to be elected. wanted to get back into the Eastern District because of the ties I had in Brian went to San Angelo State the area. In 1980, I applied for the University, then TCU for his exact same position in Sherman and MBA. Gary was sitting at his desk they selected me to open the new one day in Tyler as a Federal office." Marshall and Brian called saying he'd been accepted into Baylor He lived in Grayson County for a Law School. Brian married Cheryl little while, while wife Uva and and they have three children. Now children stayed behind. Brian is District Judge in the 397th Brian was going to be a junior, in district, he enjoys his job and is a 11th grade and BeBe was an 8th good student of the law. BeBe grader. went to Southwestern Baptist in He used the time alone to search for Missouri and met her husband, the best school district in Grayson, Scott. They have two children, live visited several and ultimately chose in Denton, where Scott works at a Howe. He continued as Federal law firm. One of the things that Probation Officer for the next eight Sheriff Gary is proudest of, is his years. grandson Jake, who is planning his second mission trip to Trinidad, The Republicans had the where he helped a young man Presidency. Senator Phil Gramm accept Jesus as Savior, last and Gary had become friends. He summer. applied for the Marshal job again, went to Washington, DC to meet As Sheriff, he is most proud of the with Gramm, who had been a fact that the jail has 97 jailers now professor at A&M before he was and every position is filled and elected. Keith Gary asked how 200 additional beds have been A&M was going to do that year in built. For the last 96 beds, they football. Then Gramm said, "I hate didn't have to pass a bond issue to to rush you off, but I have a make additional room. Not a committee meeting and I really penny is owed because they found need to go. I appreciate you flying innovative ways to add beds. Gary up here. We'll get around to looking says he wishes we didn't have to at this as soon as we can. So stay lock people up, but there are alert and we'll get back with you." people who are dangerous to They walked to the door of the society that have to be corralled. office. Gramm reached over and Grayson County jail now has 480 took him by the elbow and said, beds for those accused or "You know what? With your convicted of a crime.
Sheriff Gary would have liked to "Eye in the Sky" is a control room have more man power. However, the Commissioner's Court has in the women's section of the jail, which was built in 2012, where one been very good about salaries over the last couple of years. "We don't female officer can monitor the prisoners with 16 cameras, instead compete with big cities. Those in law enforcement who live in of requiring three or four officers, which would cost the county more Sherman, may work in Dallas, in salaries. Two female officers are Plano, Frisco. They would love to work in Sherman, but there aren't in the "pit" with the women at all times. They are staffed properly and many positions available. Many Grayson County deputies have offhe gives credit to the duty jobs to make additional Commissioner's Court for that. They've been very good to him and income, such as providing security at ball games or events. That the county. There are five officers means we have to do a better job per shift covering four shifts. with the folks we have, that they are being continually re-educated, For example, there could be an that we try to get that salary up." offense that has occurred on Lake Texoma and the only car available The low point in his career was to go, is east of Van Alstyne. It might take 30 minutes for an officer when five violent inmates escaped from Grayson County jail. The to reach them with the lights and sirens on. A city cop in Grayson can leadership team is constantly reget anywhere in their city in five to accessing the security in the jail, so that type of incident will never seven minutes. Grayson County happen again. He believes it is a deputies have 934 square miles to much better agency now. cover with five working per shift. The officers are required to take 40 hours of Continuing Education every other year. Grayson County goes beyond that by providing more for their workers, believing that one can never have too much training.
When he worked as a U.S. Marshal during the 1970s, the biggest concern was bank robberies in small towns because the criminals could be gone before anyone law enforcement knew the continued on Page #15
