Sunday, March 16, 2025
LAKE WORTH — From Springtown to Lake Worth, Don Price led a 35-year career in law enforcement filled with bravery and intensity — a career some might be in awe of. Born in Albany, Georgia, Price moved to Texas with his family when he was in the second grade but feels he has lived in Texas long enough to consider himself a true Texan. But he hung up his badge Jan. 6, retiring from the Lake Worth PD after serving in that community for 19 years.
Price’s father, a member of the U.S. Air Force, had a career that took the family from place to place, including stops at Carswell Aire Force Base. After graduating from high school in 1982, Price attended Tarrant County Junior College — now Tarrant County College — for two years. He accumulated enough credits in law enforcement and security studies to begin his career out in the field.
His first job was working as security at Ridgmar Mall, where he met his wife. Eventually, he went into law enforcement and worked as a regional investigator for Payless Cashways, overseeing 23 stores across Texas and Oklahoma. In 1989, he joined the Pelican Bay Police Department before moving to the Springtown Police Department in 1993, where he spent the majority of his career.
Reflecting on his early years as a police officer, Price recalled how challenging the transition was.
“I went into full-time law enforcement and just learned and was scared to death, you know, just learning how it goes,” Price said.
But over time, Price gained confidence while transitioning from a rookie to a more experienced officer. Price’s time at Springtown Police Department was notable for the varied experiences he had.
“I loved that little town,” Price said. “I went to Springtown in 1993, I really loved it out there.”
Though small, the department found itself assisting neighboring counties with incidents, ranging from drug busts to plane crashes.
He recalled, laughingly, the challenges of working with limited resources.
“We didn’t have body cams back then, we didn’t have dash cams,” Price said. “We barely had radios that worked.”
Despite these challenges, Price found his time in Springtown fulfilling, especially enjoying the close-knit community. Price went from being an officer, to training officer, to sergeant and then to lieutenant.
“I worked my way up through the ranks,” Price said. “Patrol, narcotics, ran the K-9 unit for a little but, CID (Criminal Investigation Department). CID, we did a lot of internet predator stuff. We started that program and then Parker County took it over.”
Eventually, Price was recruited by the Lake Worth Police Department because of the highly successful cybercrime program. Price spoke to the profiles of the individuals who committed these heinous crimes on the internet.
“It's all kinds of people, I mean, military and religious people,” Price said. “I think they get in their mind that they're just in another world or something and they don't think. We had some that would go out, after they got arrested and killed themselves. But the internet was scary back then and it's still scary now.”
Price reflected on a case that still affects him to this day.
“There was a guy named Crance that got hit by a truck on 199 and River Oaks Boulevard,” Price said. “And they left him. That one bothers me. We could never find out who killed him. The family was destroyed.”
Price did admit that the cybercrimes also still bother him to this day.
“The (thing about the) predator stuff that still bothers me is the fact there’s still more out there that got away,” Price said. “In Parker County, you go to prison for that kind of thing. Tarrant County is a little more lenient. It just makes you want to work harder.”
Price became the lead detective at Lake Worth PD and greatly enjoyed his time there.
Looking back over his career, Price said there needs to be more extended amounts of training in the academy.
“I think there needs to be more training, because we’re cutting some of these kids loose,” Price said. “Because of the shortfall and manpower, you tend to push them out too fast. Then they learn in the field that they don’t really want to do this.”
The advice Price gives to new recruits? Be careful.
“People are not like how they used to be,” Price said. “You’re seeing all these chases, all these gunshots. You didn't hear about that in the ‘80s.”
Throughout his career, one theme in his life remained constant — his desire to serve the community.
Lake Worth Chief of Police J.T. Manoushagian thanked Price for his commitment to ensuring public safety and expressed deep gratitude for preparing the next generation of police officers.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Don for many years and I can confidently say that he is a part of one of the greatest generations of law enforcement our country has ever known,” Manoushagian said. “He made it his life’s work to leave the community better than he found it and he did just that. The void he leaves behind will take a long time to fill, but thankfully he has prepared the next generation of police officers to pick up where he left off. For that and for his 35 years of service, we offer our most heartfelt thanks and appreciation. On behalf of everyone in Lake Worth, we congratulate Don on his retirement and wish him and his family the very best in their next chapter of life.”
