By John Brice
Correspondent
Following the recent retirement of LaFayette Police Department Chief George Rampey, a luncheon was held to celebrate the notable occasion at The Venue on Alabama Avenue East in downtown LaFayette during the midday hours of Thursday, February 29th of 2024. City department heads, employees, colleagues and former co-workers were in attendance to offer their well wishes and mark the momentous day. While guests enjoyed a catered meal, a long series of speakers shared warm recollections, fond memories and poignant tributes to the local law enforcement legend.
Capping off the event, Chief Rampey took his turn to orate a farewell address by remarking “First off, I have got to give all the glory to God for all that he has done for me and my family. I just want to take this opportunity, looking out you just see all the love that is in the room and you can’t help but be thankful for each and every one of you for coming out and taking time out of your busy schedule just to be here to see me. You know, I tell my church all the time that there is a song that we sing a lot but we don’t have to sing it and that song is ‘May the works’. May the works that I have done speak for me. May the life that I live speak for me. May the service that I have given for thirty years speak for me.”
He went on to continue “But I know whatever is to be said has already been said. One thing it goes on to say in that song ‘the works that I have done seem so small, sometimes it seems like nothing at all’. Even if I don’t get my just reward, I thank God for everything that has been said and done down here. Even if I don’t get my just reward down here, one day I will stand before my God and I hope that he says ‘servant, well done’. While I am here, I am just so thankful that I have had an opportunity to serve.”
Recalling the early days of his career, Rampey commented “I started out with the Chambers County Sheriff’s Department and then I was given the chance to be the school resource officer. I remember when I was in the jail, I remember Major Greg Lovelace, a deputy job came over that everybody was applying for the job. Major Lovelace came in and he said ‘George, you’re not going to apply for the deputy position?’ and I said ‘no, sir’. He went on for about a whole week and he kept asking me ‘are you going to apply?’ and I am like ‘I don’t understand why major keeps asking me this.’ He asked me, ‘George, I will tell you what. I love the work that you have done down here. If you just do me a favor and go up to the sheriff’s office and just talk to Sheriff Lockhart and whatever you decide after that will be ok with me.’ I went up there and when I walked in the door, Sheriff Lockhart shook my hand, before I could say a word they told me to raise my hand.”
Summing up his thoughts, Rampey noted “From that moment on, that is when my true law enforcement experience started, on that day. After I was sworn in as a deputy, then I was told ‘get ready, you have got to go to the academy.’ This was within weeks. I never understood why the major, that is why I loved him so much, why he would send me up to see the sheriff but they had already talked. It was already ordained by God. I worked there a little while longer and then the opportunity came for me to come to the City of LaFayette. One thing I will always remember, he told me ‘as long as I am sheriff, if you ever need a job you have got one.’ I remember Greg Lovelace picked up the phone and called and told him ‘I wish that you had about ten or eleven George Rampeys that you could send my way.’