Groves retires from Jasper County Sheriff Office

There was no doubt in Aaron Groves’ mind he would grow up to serve in law enforcement.

His father, Leland, was a member of the Newton Police Department for 30 years, and Groves grew up aspiring to follow in his footsteps. The desire only grew stronger the older he became. He saw it as a way for him to do something “exciting and different every day.”

Groves was hired by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office in 2003 and has served many different roles for the department. Once on the job, his perspective of the profession shifted.

“My mindset changed and the job became more about how I could serve and protect others. After getting promoted to lieutenant, my focus became on how to empower and lead others by example. I wanted them to be the best person they could be, on and off duty,” Groves said.

After more than 17 years with JCSO, Groves has had to make the difficult decision to retire because of a medical condition.

“If the medical condition did not exist, there is no doubt that Lt. Groves would still be the effective leader and valued asset that he has been at our office,” Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said.

During his years of service in Jasper County, his favorite part has been meeting and working with “top notch individuals” in the community. His position afforded him the opportunity to work with people on multiple levels of law enforcement and other agencies.

“What I found is that our communities in Jasper County have some of the best law enforcement officers our state has to offer. We have men and women who sacrifice so much in order to serve those in need and I had the privilege of working with them,” Groves said.

After he made the transition to lieutenant, he took on a supervisor role. He viewed it as an easy task because of the hard work and dedication he saw from those working under him at the department. As he prepares to step away from the job, it’s the people he will miss the most.

“While I won’t miss the stresses that come with a career in law enforcement, I will miss the daily interactions and joy I received in working with these fine men and women,” Groves said.

During his tenure, Groves worked under two different county sheriffs. He was hired by now retired sheriff Mike Balmer and has served under Halferty since 2012. He is grateful both Balmer and Halferty allowed him to develop and implement programs and ideas for the JCSO that helped benefit the office and by extension the Jasper County community.

“I am certain I was not the easiest deputy to supervise as I often tested the patience of those I served under, but they continued to believe in me,” Groves said.

He remains thankful Balmer took a chance on a “young kid in college” when he hired him to give him his start in law enforcement. Groves is also thankful to Halferty for helping him grow not just as deputy and lieutenant, but “as a son, a father, and a husband” as well.

“He showed me that I can be active in my faith and in my church while simultaneously serving as a law enforcement officer,” Groves said. “I truly believe the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office is one of the most professional and progressive law enforcement agencies in the state of Iowa and I am proud to have been a part of it.”

Halferty spoke highly of Groves’ service to the department describing him as a “solid” leader and tactician. He contributed a lot to the department serving on many different task forces, being a field training officer, detective, instructor, SERT member, among others. He also assisted JCSO receiving grants that provided thousands of dollars worth of equipment and training for members of the department. His years of dedication to law enforcement will be missed.

“He is transparent and disciplined. In short, he gets the job done. He also pushes not only his subordinates but his supervisors to excel and think outside the box. His position will be difficult to fill,” Halferty said.

Groves said he and his family plan to remain in the Newton area. His wife, Tricia, has been a constant support system during his time in law enforcement for the past 13 years. Groves credits her for providing encouragement and understanding when duty called, no matter the time of day.

“Being married to a first responder is not an easy task due to the requirements and stresses of the job. The spouses of our first responders deserve our love, prayer and support because of all that they endure. For Tricia and I, our perseverance and experiences together have given us a passion to help other first responders in their marriages,” Groves said.

While he is not entirely certain what his future plans may hold, he is taking commissioned pastor courses to prepare for his next calling. Whatever that may be, he sees himself continuing to serve and support others in law enforcement and the community. He also plans to be involved with nonprofit organizations across Iowa to continue to serve in the capacity.

“While my future career remains uncertain, I have faith that the good Lord ends one chapter, only to begin another one and that it will be good and meaningful,” Groves said.

Contact Pam Pratt at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 or pampratt@newtondailynews.com