by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
“It’s going to be like this all day.”
That crack came just after Assistant Chief Patrol Division East/Zone One J.R. Ross broke a broom that was headed for the garbage on the back of his door. One of his patrolmen had stopped by to congratulate him on a 35-year career and wish him luck. However, like most visits Friday, it was more like poking a bear than telling someone good-bye.
Ross spent 30 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the five prior to that with the Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach forces. He started his JSO career as a patrolman in the Springfield area and he ended it as Chief of the Zone. In between, Ross arrested hundreds, maybe thousands, of criminals, tutored hundreds of officers and raised a family. His son is a member of the JSO SWAT team and his daughter is poised to enter seminary school.
“When I retire, I will be the senior most sworn police officer on JSO,” said Ross, who was promoted to Assistant Chief of Zone One July 1, 2003 — the same day Sheriff John Rutherford was sworn in to office.
Rutherford said sharing a career with Ross — who goes by “Huck” — has been a pleasure.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with Huck throughout our 35 year careers here at JSO, and I mean privilege,” said Rutherford. “We worked together in Patrol and at the Academy, where he was an instructor, and he’s been an appointed member of my staff since I became sheriff. I’m proud to call him my friend and colleague.
“He has had accomplishments in his law enforcement career that most officers should hope to have. Huck has always led by example and has helped groom many young men and women who are the emerging leaders of this agency.
“This city and this agency are better off because James R. ‘Huck’ Ross Jr. fulfilled his calling to serve here at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.”
Ross said he never planned to become a police officer. As a member of the Marine Corps, he was stationed in Vietnam. After coming home, Ross took a month off and was eventually approached by then Atlantic Beach Police Chief Carl Stuckey.
“Back then, you could go to work and then to the police academy,” explained Ross, who started in Atlantic Beach in January 1970. “I had to wait for an academy class to start that March.”
Thirty-nine years later, Ross has retired. He has bought an RV and plans to start seeing the country. The national parks are first on the list.
In between the shenanigans last week, Ross talked about the job, especially his tenure as Assistant Chief of Zone One. The area includes Downtown, Springfield and many other areas considered some of the roughest in the city. While the area has its issues, Ross is quick to point out how much it’s improved.
“It’s much better,” he said, crediting such organizations as SPAR and Rutherford’s Operation Slowdown for helping with the crime rate. “We have the fastest response time and I would wager to say the lowest crime rate of all the other zones. We have certainly had the biggest reduction in crime.
“This was probably the worst zone when I came in. Our motto is: ‘Zone One leads the way.’”
While Ross may have gotten a hard time during his last day, it was out of respect.
“I’ll remember all the people,” he said. “I tell the young ones I have a simple motto: ‘You are either laughing or you’re crying. If you are not laughing, you are crying. If you are not crying, you are dying.’
“It’s physically dangerous, but it’s much more emotionally dangerous. My family and the emotional support from the people here made it worth it.”
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