Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Sheriff Ken Klakamp discussed his career during an interview on Thursday. He is retiring at the end of the year after a 43 year career with the county. He’s been sheriff since his election in 2012.

Warren County Sheriff Ken Klakamp has been in law enforcement since he was 18.

It started with three years as a military policeman at Ft. Dix, N.J. in the mid-1970s.

Since then — his first day working for the county was June 15, 1977 — it’s been over 43 years of continuous service in Warren County.

That streak is set to come to an end on Dec. 31 when Klakamp will be retiring as the county’s sheriff.

And while he spoke about his career on Thursday, there was one point he wanted to emphasize: “To the citizens of Warren County, it’s been an honor and privilege to have served them for 43 and a half years,” he said.

There’s two years left in his term but Klakamp said “it’s time.

“It’s a young man’s game,” he said. “I want to do some of the things with our grandkids (like Disney World) while I still can. My health is good. My wife wants to travel. Hopefully we can do that.”

He said his wife, Dee, who retired from the sheriff’s office in July, “has been beating me to death that she wants to travel…. It’s time to be a full-time grandpa.”

Klakamp was raised in Garland — he had been involved with the volunteer fire company there while in high school — and graduated from Youngsville High School in 1974.

He said he had a friend who was an MP and realized it interested him. So 14 days after graduation he was sworn into the service for training, finishing third in his MP class at Ft. Gordon, Ga.

One-half inch too short for the road patrol he wanted, Klakamp spent two years working at the stockade at Ft. Dix before being put on the road for his last year, regardless of that half inch.

His first day with the county — June 15, 1977 — was actually prior to his formal military discharge. After working in the jail for a time, Klakamp moved to the sheriff’s office where he was chief deputy for 19.5 years prior to his election in 2012 as sheriff.

He served as jail warden, county detective, 911 coordinator and acting EMA director throughout his career, as well as specialization in drug enforcement.

“Probably my greatest achievement,” he said as sheriff, was “serving the people of Warren County…. (We) had some very successful programs,” specifically highlighting the school resource officer, K9, software upgrade and cameras. “The list goes on and on. The service to the public, to the community, is the thing I’m most proud of.”

He said he had two goals when elected sheriff — ensuring the office was in the same condition his two predecessors had established and to be a clearing house for the community.

“A lot of people have issues. Citizens have issues,” he said. “They don’t know where to turn. (I’ve) always tried to help….” He said he still gets to or three emails weekly with questions about where people should go for certain issues. “That’s been a pleasure” to help, he said.

He said there’s some “suggestions” about how he may be able to stay involved in retirement but nothing is settled.

“I’m here. I’ve been in emergency services my whole life… either service to my country or my community. I will do whatever is asked of me.”

A lot has changed since Klakamp first started work for the sheriff’s office — he said when he started deputies were still carrying six-shot revolvers and “some old shotguns.” Body armor wasn’t provided. “If you wanted it, you had to buy it,” he said.

While much has changed, there’s also much that’s remained constant in how the office engages with the community it serves.

And that’s the advice he said he’d give to the current deputies.

“Remember where you come from,” he said. “That’s something that I’ve preached for years and years. If you can look at yourself in the mirror tomorrow for the decisions that you made today, you’ll be ok. My staff is second to none. Everybody brings something to the table here.

“I’m just proud,” he added. “I wish my mother (who died in 2003) had lived to see me.”