OKEECHOBEE — After more than three decades of service to the police department, Terisa Garcia retired on Dec. 31. “I don’t know how to feel about it,” she said. “I feel happy and sad.” Garcia started work at the Okeechobee Police Department 35 1/2 years ago as a dispatcher. She did that for about five years until a position in records opened up. She applied for that position and with her seniority was able to move up. About five years later, the chief’s secretary left, and she took that position. Her title changed later to police services coordinator, but she is still doing basically the same thing 25 years later.

Garcia laughingly describes herself as the police department’s honorary “mom.” “I pay all our bills. The officers have to maintain 40 hours of mandatory retraining every four years. I manage that. Our dispatchers have to maintain 20 hours every two years. I manage that. I keep them recertified, keep them up to date on certification. I stay on them, constantly saying you need this or that, or you don’t have this or you have to have that. I stay on them pretty much like their mother.” She makes sure all time sheets are completed every two weeks, and that’s a job all by itself, she said. “I call them or text them to remind them constantly.” One of her favorite memories was of a poster she walked in and found on her door one morning. “It was a girl with wavy black hair. They put a sign on it that said, ‘Where’s your time sheet?’ That was funny!”

Not to worry, though — Garcia has been training someone to take her place, so her “family” will be in good hands even though she is no longer there to watch over them. The new coordinator is coming out of records and already knew a lot of the job, said Garcia. The policy in the police department is to know the jobs of the person under you and above you, because they have a small department, and it runs more smoothly if everyone can fill more than one position if they are needed. She has served as dispatcher or school crossing guard as needed. “In a small department, you just do what needs to be done,” she said.

Born and raised in Okeechobee, Garcia came to the police department when she was only 25 years old. “I feel like I grew up here,” she said. “I’ve been through four chiefs — Larry Mobley, Buck Farrenkopf, Denny Davis and Bob Peterson.” She worked with Chief Peterson in the ’80s when he was on road patrol.

The thought of completely retiring was too much to bear, so Garcia has decided to stay on part-time and will serve as a dispatcher or wherever she is needed.

Her first adventure as a semi-retiree will be a trip to Texas with her brother to visit relatives.