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January 24, 2006

Faculty/Staff

Assistant chief will resign

Assistant Police Chief James Ferguson will leave UTA after 28 years of service.

Story by: Alicia Kania

The Shorthorn staff

The Shorthorn: Scott Russell

Assistant UTA Police Chief James D. Ferguson is retiring Tuesday, January 31 after 28 years of service. The reception is open to the public Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Southwest Environmental Education Training Center.

After more than two decades at the university, assistant police chief James Ferguson will retire Jan. 31.

He said he started talking about retiring in October and informed the administration of his plans.

“It’s just some good timing,” he said. “I’m ready to kick back. It’s time to let the young kids have it.”

Ferguson said he has worked 32 years total, including the four years he spent in the military and getting his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice here in 1982, while already working for the UTA Police Department.

He said he left the university briefly in 1984 to be a pilot for an investment company but got tired of being away from home. He came back permanently the following year.

Reflecting on his time at UTA, Ferguson said some of his memories include humorous incidents with streakers in the ’70s and ’80s.

“I always felt silly chasing some kid with no clothes on,” he said. “You knew you were probably going to have to tackle him, but at the same time you didn’t really want to. That was always interesting.”

On a more serious note, he said he recalls a few incidents involving murders near campus. He said he is thankful that he never suffered any serious injuries while on the force or had to harm any criminals.

Police Chief Bob Hayes said he has worked with Ferguson for four and a half years and that the two have wondered which one of them would retire first.

“He beat me to retirement,” Hayes said. “It’s been a very good working relationship. Personally, I hate to see him go.”

He said that when he had just been appointed chief, Ferguson traveled to Houston to meet him for the first time.

“Generally, on our lunch hour we’d go to Half Price Books,” Hayes said. “We’ve spent a lot of good hours there.”

He said the UTA Police Department will miss Ferguson and that the department has already begun to find someone to fill the position.

Ferguson said his plans for retirement include getting a part-time job as a pilot, though nothing is official yet.

In addition, he said he is looking forward to being involved in the Single Action Shooting Society, which holds events in which people dress up as cowboys and compete in shooting scenarios. He said his nickname is “Tin Star Jim.”

“It’s an excuse to buy guns and toys and dress up like cowboys and Indians,” he said, adding that he sometimes takes his family. “You just go out and have fun, and it’s more of a social type thing.”

Correction

The article should have stated that the assistant police chief will retire.