photo by Marcus Frazier

Lt. Billie Joe Frazier is reflected in one of the many plaques he received to celebrate his retirement after 32 years at the Natchez Police Department. Frazier began his career with NPD in 1976.

Lt. Billie Joe Frazier retires after 32 years of service at NPD

By Mary Hood (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Thursday, July 3, 2008

NATCHEZ — When Lt. Billie Joe Frazier joined the force at Natchez Police Department in 1976 he was only planning on staying for six months.

However, the job caught hold of him and kept him going until his recent retirement — 32 years later.

After spending three and a half years in the Navy, Frazier returned to Natchez and found himself without a job.

Video

Lt. Billy Joe Frazier talks about the state of crime in Natchez's past. Watch »

Though Frazier said he wasn’t in any big rush to get a job, he was getting pressure from his wife and landlord, as well as his old high school coach who urged him to apply with NPD.

“I told myself I’d go and just stay there for six months,” he said.

But he found something in the job that kept him intrigued.

“Every day was something new,” he said.

He also said he enjoyed meeting people in the community and helping out.

“It makes you feel good to give back and help people,” Frazier said. “Everybody needs some help.”

Frazier began his career as a police officer during a transitional period.

He said there weren’t many black officers when he began.

And it was also common for callers to request for the police department not to send a “colored officer,” he said.

“Our policy at the police department was we’ll send you what we got,” he said.

The job of a police officer is to serve all people of the City of Natchez, Frazier said. But sometimes it was hard to deal with the discrimination.

“If you couldn’t deal with it, you wouldn’t make it,” Frazier said. “You had to have thick skin.”

Times as a police officer have certainly changed over the years, he said.

Frazier recalls back when he started working they didn’t even have walkie-talkies and did most patrolling on foot.

Now, patrolling has gotten more technologically advanced.

“They don’t police the old fashioned way anymore,” he said.

And the old way is something he finds beneficial because it serves as a means by which to connect with the community.

“Once you get to interacting, (people) will come and tell you what kind of crime is going on,” he said. “You’ve got to have the hands on method.”

In all his years, he’s seen shootings, suicides, double killings and more.

Back in 1990, Frazier was shot in the head at a convenience store near Cathedral School.

He said he was standing outside the store talking with a church friend, when two males pulled up in a car and began to assault two other males in a parked car.

“I went over and identified myself as a police officer and one guy had a pistol,” Frazier said. “I hesitated and that’s why I got shot. I was trained not to, but I did.”

He said the bullet literally went into his ear, down his neck to the base of his skull and came out the back of his neck.

He said it didn’t cause much damage, although he said there is some residual pain when it rains.

“I still have bullet fragments in there,” he said.

The shooting is only one of many frightening occurrences he’s experienced in his 32 years.

“Through the years I’ve seen a lot, and I’ve done a lot,” Frazier said.

Frazier has worked for seven or eight police chiefs, he said, but he remembers Eddie Jones, Ken Fairley, Willie Huff and J.T. Robinson the most.

Robinson was the police chief who first employed Frazier.

“I can’t say anything but good things about him,” Frazier said.

Frazer has received many accolades throughout his years of service, but he said a few really stick out.

He was given a letter of appreciation by District Attorney Ronnie Harper.

“That’s one of the best highlights of my career,” Frazier said. “If you get one from Ronnie, you know all your years have been appreciated.”

He said he also greatly values being given the 2007 George Meltcalfe Award from the NAACP.

His retirement he said won’t be about sitting around and relaxing, something he said his wife of 33 years Shirley won’t let him do.

“My wife says by September I need to find another job,” he said.

He wants to continue to give back to the community through his job.

“That’s what I’ve always been about,” he said.

He said he will miss the police department and friends he’s made there but mostly miss helping people in that capacity.

But he’ll still be around to help anyone who needs it.

“It goes back to what Gen. MacArthur said, but it my case it’s old police officers never die, they just fade away,” Frazier said.