Sgt. Houseworth trades gun for sunny skies

Trading a life of law enforcement for retirement in beautiful Central America is a dream come true for Sgt. Corky Houseworth, of Milan, who had his last official day July 31. 

The 56-year-old started his career as a jail officer in 1998 and never looked back. The next year he went on to be a road deputy, four years as a detective, and the last final years promoted to Sgt. He also served a three-month period in-between as a reserve officer for the Town of Versailles under Marshal Dave Adams. He graduated from Vincennes University with a degree in law enforcement and really thought he would be a Conservation Officer. That wasn’t in the cards, and he began to pursue a career at the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office.

Sgt. Houseworth has served under six different sheriffs and said he learned something from every one of them. He noted that leaders come and go, but the deputies are still out there carrying out the details in the community.

After 26 years, Sgt. Houseworth says the biggest thing he’s seen change is the behavior of people. “Society in general has changed,” he told The Versailles Republican after the Sheriff’s Office held a reception for him at the Versailles State Park last week.

The worst thing about the job is the people and the situations they are in when he responds. The best thing about the job is the people when he could be helpful. “I pride myself on trying to see what the need is first,” he noted.

He’s seen his share of crashes – those that were minimal and those that were fatal. “Some you just never forget…children, babies…,” he shared with great emotion. He has worked the Operating While Intoxicated patrols helping to keep the road safe from impaired drivers. He’s been pinned for using stop sticks to stop high speed pursuits and agreed those type of incidents became more frequent and dangerous toward the end of his career. “People swerve at officers,” he noted. He has also had his share of foot pursuits, saying that’s why it’s a good idea to keep in shape.

When asked if he was ever scared on patrol, he noted, “That wasn’t the time to be scared.” He said he knew what was expected of him, knew how to do his job, and just did it. “Afterwards you look back and might know how serious the situation was, but I wasn’t afraid,” he said. He’s seen death and destruction during his career and the worst part is when he responded to situations with children involved that were about the same age as his own. “That was hard,” he emotionally shared.

He can recall scenarios where bullets were flying, and he wasn’t sure who would be left standing in the end. Those times he just followed his training. “It wasn’t until later I realized the full impact,” he shared. He agreed many officers probably have some level of PTSD. Sgt. Houseworth said he knew he had to be the strength for others in serious situations. Babies and the elderly would get him in the heart more than anything. Tears came into his eyes throughout the interview as he recalled times from his career that really were emotional.

Sgt. Houseworth says he’s had the best mentors including Lt. Randy Holt – who he referred to as his ‘rock,’ Paul Hildebrand, who is now retired, and the late Marvin Smith, just to name a few. He said the Sheriff’s Office never had a full staff and they all worked together to hopefully make a difference in the lives of people they served. “The guys in the office made the job bearable at times,” he said and added, “It was never about the money.” His number #69103 now belongs to Deputy Bob Curl, and the beat goes on.

“The dispatchers are really the heart of keeping officers safe,” he noted, saying Ripley County has the best group of dispatchers. He said his advice to younger deputies is to always find out what the dispatchers need and do it. These people are the ones who hold the officer’s lives in the moment. “I would always hang around in dispatch early on in my career,” he noted, saying, it was there he learned the true meaning of what they do.

A favorite quote of Sgt. Houseworth’s is: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.”

And, that is exactly what he is doing. The Houseworths – Corky and wife, Verna, are Honduras bound to the Bay Islands where they broke ground on their house recently in Utila. He describes them as River Rats who love the Caribbean. They just got back from there and he says they talked a lot about it when going on vacation and one day took the leap. It’s a plane ride away and for Corky, he can put the law enforcement days behind him and enjoy the perfect weather and beach life.

Not afraid of taking chances, Sgt. Houseworth served in the Air Force, and is a member of the Milan American Legion. He was nominated Officer of the Year in Indianapolis, which he says was a great honor. He served as F.O.P. President, and took part in Shop with a Cop, Cops and Kids, and the Winzenread Golf Tournament. “I enjoyed doing anything to help out in the community,” he noted. “If you’re not approachable, what good are you for anybody?” he laughed.

He feels Ripley County is in good hands with the Sheriff’s Office and knows the new officers will make a difference. In the meantime, the son of Herb and Lee Houseworth, will be sailing the blue seas. (Interesting note: his dad, Herb, retired the year Corky began his career and now is working security detail at the Ripley County Courthouse as Corky retires.)