Wed, Nov 25 2009
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Carthage detective to retire, hopes to continue with party “It seems like a lot of work — and it is — but we’ve done it for so many years that it’s organized,” he said. “Everyone keeps track of their jobs.”
The party is well-organized because Williams is well-organized, said Young, who said this year’s planning meetings have been held at the Williams’ home. “He’s the most organized person I’ve ever seen,” Young said. “If he’s in charge, it’s going to get done and get done right. He keeps records from year to year and he knows exactly what needs to be done.” Williams said the party has become a Carthage tradition that has gained the support of many in the area. “Since the early years, I don’t recall ever having to solicit for support, it was always just stories in the media and word of mouth. It’s totally supported by the public; no city money goes into it.” “We have a wonderful, generous community and people don’t want the party to stop. “I remember one year this older lady came in and gave us $1.10 for the party. It was all she had and she wanted to give it to us,” he said. “And some of the junior high kids who work the party now used to be the kids who were invited. So its kids helping kids.” Police role Williams for years has served as a juvenile officer and headed up the department’s community affairs programs. In that capacity, he’s done countless safety programs in which children were fingerprinted and videotaped, organized bicycle rodeos and a Halloween coloring contest to emphasize holiday safety, plus cookouts and other gatherings that allowed police and youngsters to mingle on the square in a casual atmosphere. He also started the Citizens Police Academy, which has educated local residents on operations of the police force. Chief Greg Dagnan has known Williams for years, through contacts when he was chief investigator for the prosecutor’s office, then executive director of the Children’s Center of Southwest Missouri. He said Williams “has truly made a niche for himself, doing what he does best in working with community programs and with child victims and juvenile offenders. “If he worked a crime against a child, there was no stone left unturned in his investigation, and the report was meticulous,” Dagnan said. “It’s the same way when I worked at the prosecutor’s office. You always liked getting a report from him, because if it needed to be done, it would get done.” Dagnan said Williams will always be a part of the department. “I’d like to see him down here a lot, when he feels like it. We call him about every day,” he said. 
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