Crump Retires Following 30 Years At SPD

Linda Crump called it a career on Friday, Oct. 2, at Sullivan Police Department, following a 30-year career that began as a dispatcher on Oct. 2, 1990.

When she walked into the Sullivan Police Department, Crump didn’t think this would be her career of 30 years.

“I never thought at the beginning it would work. I took the job because I needed it and didn’t think about it being a career,” said Crump. “The job at the time was not conducive to a family. You work every holiday and then adjusting to sleeping during the day because I worked the midnight shift. I had to get used to sleeping during the day for 30 years, and now that I’ve retired, it’s tough to try sleeping at night. I’ll get used to it eventually.”

At the time of her career beginning, Crump also questioned her purpose in life.

“When I started my career, I was wondering what my purpose in life was going to be, and I found it with my job at Sullivan Police Department,” said Crump. “I truly loved my job and helping people. Now that I’m retired, I may drive in town and see the lights flashing from a patrol car, and I get a sinking feeling, I wanna be there to help the officers, I miss it terribly.”

As for dislikes of the job, Crump found the main one was sometimes the sadness and not getting closure.

“I would say the main dislike would be the sadness on the tough calls. Sometimes you don’t know or find out the end result, and you don’t get closure,” said Crump. “That is the dark part, but at times the officers would be in a pursuit; some type of incident that would make you anxious. There was never not any excitement.”

The biggest changes in the 30 years Crump served the City of Sullivan were technology and computers.

“Thirty years ago, we were just learning the computer systems and constantly going to school. I had a two-year-old when I started, and there were many times I had to find a sitter here, there and everywhere,” laughed Crump. “Learning the MULES system, everything got more advanced, and even the job changed in what we were dispatching for through the years. In years past, there was a lot of driving while intoxicated incidents, but now it seems dispatch sends out officers more for drug incidents and a lot of thieving.”

Crump was honored by the City of Sullivan and Mayor Dennis Watz with a Proclamation presented to her during a private ceremony held on Oct. 3. 

The Proclamation, in part read, “Linda has loyally and steadfastly served the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Sullivan for thirty years. Linda Crump is commended for her many years of wise, compassionate, dedicated and top notch Police Dispatcher. Linda truly loves her job even after spending half her life staying up all night, working weekends and holidays during times of grief, tragedy, destruction and sadness. Her professional and courteous manner will be truly missed.”

When Crump was asked what she enjoyed the most about the job, “I truly loved doing the job itself from day one,” said Crump. “It was my happy place and I had great people to work with, a great boss and just loved doing that type of job.”