A 91-year-old sheriff said he will turn in his badge after more than 50 years as a Georgia county’s top lawmaker, making him the longest-serving cop in the state.
Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton has confirmed he will not seek re-election in 2024 and will resign at the end of his term.
The former dairy farmer, who was born in 1932, was first elected to the role of Sheriff in 1972 after also working as the county commissioner.
Houston County commissioners named Talton the longest-serving sheriff, not only in Georgia, but in the United States, when they honored him earlier this week.
The sheriff, now more than fifty years in the post, said he still likes his job, but will soon be handing in his badge, saying; ‘I enjoy what I do. I enjoy people. It’s time for me to hang it up so I won’t be rude again,
Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton, pictured here, has now said he will retire from the role next year after more than 50 years
The sheriff, pictured here in his younger days, was first elected to the role of sheriff in 1972 after also serving as the county commissioner.
When Talton took over the reins of the department in 1972, he was responsible for just 28 employees, a number that climbed to more than 300.
Talton was elected in 1966 and took office the following year as the county commissioner.
However, in his second term as commissioner, he left, saying he saw a need for professional law enforcement in the sheriff’s office.
His campaign promise at the time was that he would be professional, even though he had never worked in law enforcement before.
At the time, the country’s population was approximately 63,000 people. It now has nearly 170,000.
During the early days, he had his first experience of murder, which he says was a big deal for him because he had never been involved in law enforcement.
In a previous interview with Mike Chaloult, of the Digital Library of Georgiasaid the sheriff: ‘We had quite a time to solve that one, we’ve had quite a few since.
‘We have three unsolved murders in forty years. ‘
During the interview, Talton also recalled how he once pulled over a driver and, completely unaware of him, the car was located over train tracks.
As the sheriff exited his own vehicle to check the license plate, a train whistle blew in the distance, and the driver fled the scene.
He recalls: ‘I got out to check the licence, I heard the train whistle and he just took off and left me standing there. I had the train between me and him.
He added with a laugh: ‘We had a good look at him so we caught him in line later, it was quite embarrassing.’
On Tuesday, leaders and community members gathered at the Houston County Annex at a meeting to honor the longtime sheriff.
Among those who attended the ceremony in Talton’s honor earlier this week were two of his great-grandchildren, including 12-year-old Ellie Talton.
When Talton took over the reins of the department in 1972, he was responsible for just 28 employees, a number that climbed to more than 300.
She told 13WMAZ: ‘He did an amazing job and deserves every bit of the credit, I just love how much he just doesn’t want to take the credit, that he gives it to others.
‘It just had a huge impact on me. He has always been the peacekeeper of the family.
‘He’s just such a role model for me. The way he always loves everyone, and how he always wants to serve.
‘It just didn’t just affect me, but the whole country as a whole. Just to love others and to serve others, not just at the county level
Chairman Dan Perdue said, ‘I think if there’s one word I would use to describe Sheriff Talton, it’s ‘servant’ because he’s been a servant to this community and a servant to the public for so long.”