North Lamar’s Joe Tuttle Celebrates 40 Years As A Peace Officer

On Friday, North Lamar Police Department Officer Joe Tuttle celebrated his 40th anniversary as a peace officer with a surprise reception at Aaron Parker Elementary. Also known as “Jolene” or “Officer Pappaw,” Joe has become a beloved member of the Aaron Parker family.

Joe became a state-certified licensed Reserve officer for the city of Paris Police Department in December 1981. In 1982, he became a dispatcher for the Paris PD before signing on as a full-time peace officer for the Police Department, graduating from the East Texas Police Academy in May 1985. Joe worked for the Paris PD until 1993, when Joe moved to the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department. In July 2017, he retired from the Sheriff’s office and, lucky for us, came to work for the North Lamar Police Department.

At Parker, Joe often goes above and beyond to serve the teachers and students. From answering the phone, working the doors, helping students out of the car in the morning, and even helping the teachers hang items in their classrooms, Joe’s calm presence has become something the teachers at Parker look forward to seeing every day.