photo by: Contributed photo

James Martin Jr.

The undersheriff for the operations division of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has retired.

The retirement of Jim Martin, who was hired for the position in 2013, was announced Wednesday, Sgt. Kristen Channel, sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said in response to an inquiry from the Journal-World.

Prior to joining the sheriff’s office Martin was a patrol shift commander for the Lawrence Police Department, the Journal-World previously reported. In the 28 years prior to becoming undersheriff in 2013, he also had been a military police officer, a corrections officer, a patrol deputy, a juvenile crimes investigator, a crime scene investigator and a patrol supervisor.

Channel said Sheriff Ken McGovern had not yet decided who would replace Martin and that there was not a firm timeline for the process.

“The sheriff, per state statute, appoints an undersheriff,” Channel said. “The sheriff has not yet determined whether he will fill Martin’s position or when that would occur if he does decide to fill the position.”

Martin’s annual salary at retirement was $117,915, Channel said.

Martin was one of the office’s two undersheriffs. Gary Bunting is undersheriff of the corrections division, which oversees the jail.