Passion for faith, family and career

Once a week between 1968 and 1975, television viewers tuned in to see police officers Peter Malloy and James Reed protect citizens on the gritty streets of Los Angeles and go after the bad guys who broke the law! The television shows Adam-12 was the forefront of future cop shows that were to follow it, and one of its viewers each week was a young Midland boy named Jeff Darr. That's how it all started, and over 40 years later, Deputy Chief Darr is now protecting the citizens of his hometown.

During the past 26 years, Darr has moved up in the ranks of the Midland Police Department (MPD) from patrol officer to his current position as Deputy Chief of Field Operations, where he supervises 120 employees and is responsible for a $12 million budget. "It all started when I was a kid watching Adam-12," says Darr with a laugh.

It took a while, however, for Deputy Chief Darr to realize his true calling. After graduating Midland High School in 1974, he held several jobs including cabinet builder, truck driver, oilfield roughneck and airplane mechanic. In the mid-1980s, Darr began taking criminal justice courses at Midland College (MC), and in 1987 obtained his Associate degree in criminal justice. That's how a career at the MPD began. Then, in 2001, Darr went back to MC to take courses to prepare him for pursuing a Bachelor's degree in speech from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. After obtaining his Bachelor's degree, Darr continued his education, and received a Master's degree in Public Administration from Sul Ross State University in 2004. In addition, Darr has taken courses at the FBI Academy through the University of Virgina. He says, "I've taken classes from four different colleges, and I rank MC as being just as challenging as any of the other schools."

Darr says it's important to get a degree. "For advancement in most police departments, you need an Associate degree. In the Midland Police Department, it is recommended to have a Bachelor's degree for the position of lieutenant, and anything above lieutenant usually requires a Master's degree," states Darr. Bob Peetz, program director of MC's criminal justice program, explains that MC offers several options for students wanting to pursue a career in law enforcement. The MC Associate degree in criminal justice transfers to most four-year universitites and also leads to MC's Bachelor's degree in organizational management. In addition, the college offers a certificate in law enforcement.

Jeff Darr says that police service is a good career, but before pursuing it, one should make sure it is the right career for him/her. He explains, "It takes a lot of time and effort. Make sure it's what you want to do. Talk to officers and ride along on a patrol shift. You need to be geared to deal with a lot of bad things, and you will encounter people on their worst days. You have to be able to deal fairly with the good side and the bad side of people. It's easy to deal with the good side—the bad side is challenging, to say the least. And, of course, there's pretty horrific stuff that a police officer encounters. It's not as glamorous as what is usually depicted on TV. Remember, you have to be a street cop before becoming a detective!"

Darr deals with the stress of law enforcement responsibilities through his faith. He states, "My faith is important; it helps a lot." He also has the support of his wife, District Judge Robin Darr. Their blended family consists of four grown children and six grandchildren. Together, the family enjoys mountain climbing, snow skiing, bicycling, camping, canoeing, and recently they have acquired an interest in sailing. Darr also believes very strongly in staying fit and enjoys his exercise regime. He is a member of Midland's First Presbyterian Church and is an advocate of mission service both locally and throughout the world. He and his family have been a part of severl mission trips to the Uganda and Tanzania regions of Africa with the church.

Darr says that his first priorities in life are God and his family, but running a very close third is his career. When the MPD deputy chief speaks of his life's vocation, it is with pure conviction: " Each one of us is put on this earth for a reason. God put us here with a mission. Mine is the Midland Police Department. It is my passion."