Williamson County - Tharpe leaves Sheriff’s Department
By Carole Robinson, Staff Writer
crobinson@williamsonherald.com
 Photo by: Carole Robinson
Hugh Tharpe
For the past three and a half years, Hugh Tharpe has been Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Long’s special assistant acting on his behalf at meetings, and on committees, as his liaison with local and state government officials, filling in at speaking engagements, coordinating the senior assurance program, keeping track of grants and running the quarter master program and more.
“He had a lot to do,” Long said. “He helped me a lot with my calendar and he was the face of the Sheriff’s Department as Public Information Officer. [The position] releases officers from having to communicate with the press and concentrate on their cases.”
Last Friday Tharpe left the Sheriff’s Department venturing back to a career he worked in many years ago – insurance. He is now working with AFLAC.
Although Tharpe changed jobs, he is not giving up the Sheriff’s Department completely, he said. He will go back to being involved on a volunteer basis; law enforcement is a part of who he is, but “he will be missed.”
“It’s important to me when I have somebody I can depend on,” Long said. “We are going to miss him. He will be hard to replace – anyone who steps into this position will have big shoes to fill.”
When the Kentucky native moved to Franklin in 1996, “I fell in love with Franklin – it’s a wonderful town,” Tharpe said.
A former patrolman in his hometown of Frankfort, Ky., the Eastern Kentucky University criminal justice graduate was also a campus detective for the University of Kentucky with jurisdiction over properties in 94 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. He was also a member of the Army National Guard, having retired after 20-years at the rank of Major, before changing careers to become an insurance adjuster.
Tharpe never lost his passion for law enforcement. He wasn’t in Franklin long before he got involved with the Franklin Police Department’s Citizen’s Academy, the Officer Academy Alumni and he developed a volunteer group that works with the department at special events.
Four years ago, Tharpe’s business, Transport Services LLC. became a victim of the recession – he had to close and find another job.
“At that time I realized material things were not that important,” Tharpe said. “Your faith, family and health always need attention. That message made me quite a different person. It’s no longer about me, it’s about the impact I have to affect others.”
Shortly after he closed the doors to his business, Long offered Tharpe a job as his assistant.
“I will always be thankful to Jeff Long,” Tharpe said. “He helped me in a time of need. The only reason I am leaving is financial.”
Tharpe has been married to Janet since 1979 and they have one son – Jason and one grandson, Connor.
Posted on: 9/5/2012
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