Petre Thomas | Buy at photos.djournal.com
James Owens, left, visits with Rochester Buford at Owens’ retirement party Tuesday.
By Errol Castens
Oxford Citizen
OXFORD – Deputy Chief James Owens turned in his keys Friday, retiring from Oxford Police Department after a three-decade career in law enforcement.
That career began as a campus patrolman at Northwest Mississippi Community College and culminated with nearly two-and-a-half years as second-in-command at OPD.
“One of my favorite parts of the job in recent years is seeing the overall big picture and seeing how you can have a well-working organization where the parts are functioning in synch with one another, and knowing you’ve had a part in making those parts come together,” he said. “That was probably the most rewarding part of being in upper command.”
Owens was the first African-American appointed to the second-in-command position.
“I thank Chief (Joey) East for the honor to serve as his number-two man. I was honored to work in that position and am honored to retire as the deputy chief, but soon after that title hit, it was like, ‘We’ve got work to do,’ and it soon faded away, and I never really think about that,” he said. “I was focused on doing the best job possible for the department and Chief East and the men and women that serve – and the best job for the community.”
East said of Owens, “He was just the right person for the job, and after he’d been chosen, someone mentioned, ‘Hey, you know he’s the first African-American in the job.’ That never crossed our mind.”
Inevitably, any career aimed at crime and emergencies will have its low points.
“There have been several worst days – several tragic fatalities that I worked,” Owens said. He recalled especially the death of Scotty Tallant in 1991, early in Owens’ career with OPD, and Laura Treppendahl’s death in 2003 – both of whom died young after being hit head-on by drunk drivers.
“Seeing someone lose their life at such a young age, when they’re in the prime of life and not doing anything wrong, being in the right place, and yet they’re struck down – that’s hard,” Owens said.
Those days, he said, are more than offset by the good ones – “the days I’ve enjoyed countless friendships I’ve made throughout my career, especially individuals I feel like I’ve been able to help.”
One of Owens’ special satisfactions was the Citizens Police Academy. He was largely responsible for revamping the instructional program to give civilians a 15-hour taste of life in OPD to help them understand some of the challenges of police work and why officers sometimes respond to certain situations in certain ways.
“The Citizens Police Academy, to me, is bridging the gap between police and community,” he said. “You’re inviting someone into your house, and you’re the host, and you want to make sure you’re portraying the right image.”
Many friends lauded Owens at a retirement reception on Tuesday at the Oxford Conference Center.
“James worked for me when he first came to Oxford,” said Phyllis Johnson, former director of Oxford Housing Authority. “We loved him, and when he left us to go up the totem pole, we loved him then, and we still love him. He’s a wonderful human being.”
Not having Owens at OPD is “going to take some adjusting,” said Maj. Jeff McCutchen. “That guy is top of the line. Integrity. He’s loved by the community. He’s consistent: There are no ups and down; you know what you get; he’s always fair.
“He’s strict, now, and you’re going to do it his way, but he’s a good man. He made us better men by being around him. He’s irreplaceable.”
“Consistent” was a frequently used word in describing Owens.
“Through the years, he’s been a constant, consistent person, offering reliability and work ethic,” East said. “The last years as deputy chief he’s really been the face of the Oxford Police Department. He’s brought integrity, ethics. He’s just a good soul. He knows everybody – black, white – he broke all the race lines.
“James was an advisor to me, too. We talked about everything – politics, race, everything. He helped me develop over the last several years,” East added. “He’s such a stand-up person. We may find someone to fill his spot, but they won’t replace him.”
“James treats people with respect,” said Ulysses “Coach” Howell, a retired educator and longtime alderman. “He can do his job without making anyone feel humiliated. That’s what sets James so far above some others.
“Even if you’ve committed a crime, he’s going to treat you with respect. That means a lot,” Howell said. “I bet you he could arrest a guy and tell him, ‘I need you to put these cuffs on,’ and he’d do it.”
Owens said his basic beliefs underlie that approach.
“I never met someone who I thought was worthless,” he said. “Everyone I met or came in contact with was on equal footing with me. I never robbed anyone of their dignity. If I had to make an arrest, I made sure you were treated with the utmost respect.”
One might imagine after a 30-year career in police work, Owens might be looking forward to a leisurely retirement, but that’s not in his nature.
“I’ll take about a week’s ‘staycation,’ and then I go right back to work again at the Federal Building as a court security officer,” he said. “I’ll still see the guys around town, and I’ll still maintain the connections I’ve had with them.”
errol.castens@journalinc.com
Twitter: @oxfordcitizenec