McLemore retirement also draining CPD

Four months ago, after five new Clinton police officers were hired to fill the ranks, there appeared to be plenty of experienced ones on hand to help show them the ropes.
But within a three-day period next month, a half-century of that experience will be gone. On Oct. 8, Police Chief David Crabtree announced his retirement effective Nov. 5. Then last Friday, the retirement of Detective 1st Lt. Ron McLemore was announced. It will be effective Nov. 3.
Crabtree will have 28 years of experience when he reports to work a week from Monday for the last time. McLemore will have 22 years in when he reports for the last time. That includes 6 years with the Noble Police Department where he began his career, plus 16 in Clinton.
“I’d been thinking about it for a long time,” McLemore said Friday. “Initially, my plans were to get out when I got my 20 in, but I’m still rockin’ and rollin’. I’ve done two more than I thought I was going to do. Everything was going good, so I kept on working.”
It’s still going good, he said, but like Crabtee, he feels it’s time to go.
“I came here in 2002,” he said. “I’ve been through the ranks – patrolman, patrol sergeant, patrol lieutenant, detective lieutenant, and now detective first lieutenant.”
He has 12 years in as a detective here, plus he also had reached that rank at Noble before leaving there.
“It’s been a great career. I’m very proud of what I’ve done,” he said.
He’s also proud of the people he’s been able to work with. For starters, he named Crabtree, Detective Capt. Mike Murley, and the department’s third detective, Ray Hammans.
“All the surrounding agencies have been good to work with too,” he said, naming Elk City, Weatherford, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. “We’ve never had any issues. OSBI (the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation) has always been there to help too when we needed it.”
McLemore said he’s worked everything from petty thefts to homicides. “Every crime you can think of, we’ve probably been involved with at one time or another,” he said.
The veteran officer was born and raised at Hinton where he’s continued to reside throughout his career.
After high school he worked in the oil fields a few years before getting married in 1990. He said his wife, Mary Katherine, was in college and after she got her pharmacy degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, he decided he’d go back to college too. He did, earning a bachelor’s in criminal justice from East Central State University at Ada in 1996. That’s when he went into police work at Noble.
“It just happened,” he said. “I’ve had two uncles and a grandfather in law enforcement. I guess you could say it’s in the blood. I have no regrets. I’m proud of everything I’ve accomplished. I’m just ready to move on and do something different.”
What that will be he’s not sure. “I have not been looking for a job, and don’t plan to for a couple more months,” he said. “I like to hunt and fish, and I’m looking forward to doing a lot of that with my dad, my boys and my friends.” His boys are Dawson, 20, and Kalen, 15.
Asked if police work is harder now than when he entered the profession, McLemore said he doesn’t think so.
“I’ve always felt I’ve been respected,” he said. “I don’t feel I’ve made any enemies. In fact, I’ve had plenty of people I’ve arrested thank me. I tried to treat them fairly and respectfully.”
Unlike his detective partner, Murley, McLemore said he’s never had any major injuries. Murley of course was shot three times in his arms last December. McLemore will be one of the witnesses next week when the man charged with shooting him goes on trial.
Crabtree, his boss, had kind words to say about McLemore.
“I hired him during one of my stints as interim chief,” he said. “He had worked for one of my parents at Hinton in high school. Ron is one of the best officers I’ve ever worked with. He’s loyal, dedicated, hard working. You could always count on him to be there and do his best. I could have used a half dozen more just like him.
“I appreciate all the hard he’s done for the citizens of Clinton and the Clinton Police Department. I wish him the best in the future and am glad to have served with a man of his character.”