Jasper County Sheriff-elect Chuck Havard announced that former Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Special Agent Larry Pulliam Jr. will join the team as chief deputy. Havard takes office Jan. 1, 2025, and is readying for the position by tapping the office’s administration.
“The chief deputy job is a 70-80 hour-a-week job and Larry is up to the task,” Havard remarked. “His integrity and work ethic are second to none.”
Pulliam, Havard continued, “brings a high level of investigative and leadership skills, as well as a wealth of knowledge to the position, and is entering his 30th year in law enforcement. I feel that he will be a perfect fit and will do an excellent job for both JCSO and the citizens of Jasper County.”
Pulliam, a 1991 graduate of Jasper High School, graduated from the Kilgore Police Academy and started his first law enforcement job as a deputy sheriff for Jasper County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) in 1994. He made several highprofile arrests while working for JCSO, including the first arrest in the James Byrd, Jr. dragging death case.
In 1998, Pulliam was selected for, and later graduated from, the Texas DPS Academy. As a trooper for the state’s police force, the local son was stationed in Pampa, Deweyville and Orange. He was promoted to Highway Patrol corporal in 2003, and then promoted to special agent within the DPS Criminal Investigations Division (CID) in 2004.
While in CID, Pulliam was stationed in Laredo, Houston, Humble and Beaumont. And, while of service to Texas, and Southeast Texas, Pulliam has com- piled more than 4,000 hours of peace officer training courses.
Aug. 21, Pulliam retired as the DPSCID Region 2 training coordinator responsible for coordinating and training DPS CID special agents within Region 2 and across the state.
“I am looking forward to being a part of Jasper County Sheriff’s Office – again,” Pulliam stated. “This is the agency that gave me my start and I’m honored that Sheriff (elect) Havard selected me for this position.”
Pulliam shared his high expectations for the team that Havard is assembling, as well as what the community can expect to see from their public servants.
“We will bring an unprecedented level of professionalism to the sheriff’s office,” he said. “JCSO is near-and-dear to my heart and I’m ready to serve the citizens of this county. It’s great to be coming back home.”
According to information presented by the sheriff-elect, Havard is currently interviewing existing and potential candidates for several positions, “in an effort to put the best, most qualified and professional personnel in place for the Jasper.” While working for the future, Havard expressed sincere appreciation for the efforts of JCSO’s current sheriff, Mitchel Newman.
“Sheriff Newman has been very cooperative and accommodating and will be allowing Larry to come on board in the near future to assist in the transition,” added Havard.