Sergeant Watts Retires after over 3 decades of service

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         If you have listened, read or watched the news in Central and Southern Indiana since the 80’s then you have heard the name Sergeant Joe Watts.   The 33 year veteran of the Indiana State Police and Public Information Officer is retiring from his service to the department.

     The ISP says Watts poured his heart and soul into being a trooper and more importantly, into helping others by making a safer environment for the Wabash Valley. 

        Watts grew up in the Montezuma area where he talked with state troopers when they patronized Newlin’s and Daryl’s Gas stations where Watts worked as a teen.  He always dreamed of being a trooper and after graduating in 1980 worked as a Parke County Sheriff’s Dispatcher and later as a dispatcher at the Terre Haute State Police Post.  He soon was accepted to the police academy and became a trooper in 1985.  He worked out of Parke and Vermillion Counties and served on the Department’s Emergency Response Team for ten years and worked his way up through the ranks and became Sergent and a Public Information Officer where he’s worked for the last half of his career.   

       Sergeant Watts has received numerous letters of commendation and appreciation for his dedicated service.  He officially retired on February 14th.

 

 

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  Then and now