Geoff Fahringer Retires

The year 1973 saw many interesting historical, and some social, events unfold. Amongst them were the following:

• The Paris Peace Accords were signed ending the United States participation in the Vietnam War.

• CBS sold the New York Yankees for $10M to a syndicate headed by George Steinbrenner.

• Elvis Presley performs the first concert to be telecast worldwide. 

• Nixon and Agnew were sworn in to their second term.

• Francis Ford Coppola’s film “The Godfather” wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

• Secretariat wins the Kentucky Derby.

• Geoff (Jeff) Fahringer begins his 21-year career with the Syracuse, N.Y. Police Department. 

After Geoff Fahringer retired from the Syracuse, N.Y. Police Department in July 1994, he brought his years of experience to Collier County.

This month, Collier County Sheriff Sgt. Geoff Fahringer will complete 29 years with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. He has spent 50 years serving in law enforcement, which is somewhat of an anomaly in the profession today.

Fahringer looks back on his service with great pride and credits his positive attitude to the quality of the people he has served with over the past half-century. “I consider it a privilege to have worked with so many wonderful men and women, both here and in Syracuse where it all began fifty years ago.”

When asked, “Why Collier County?” Fahringer was quick to reply, “The department was one of the most progressive departments I had looked at when I was preparing to retire. That meant something to me as I wanted to continue my work within the law enforcement field. Besides, my wife wanted to leave those harsh Central New York winters and high taxes behind and joked she was ready to pack the car.” 

“I filled out the forms and submitted them. A very short time passed, and we got a phone call. That was 1993, and they invited us down for an interview. We explained that I wouldn’t be able to have a start date sooner than 1994 and they said that was fine.” 

“My wife Kathie and I took some time while here to look around for a housing area that would be suitable for our needs. We didn’t think our three boys would have a problem not having to get up early and shovel snow any longer, and based upon their responses when we gave them the news it appeared we guessed right,” laughed Fahringer.

Another factor which was important to them was making sure they would be living in a “boating friendly” area, specifically for sailing. The family loved to sail, and in Syracuse that was limited to only about two months a year. 

According to Fahringer, the day the family left Syracuse for the drive south, you would have thought the “Beverly Hillbillies” were on their way. “We were pulling a sailboat, a truck with a trailer and a couple of cars,” said Fahringer, with a big smile on his face.

“We rented a home on Isles of Capri for a year before we could purchase our home here on the island. Although when we visited Marco the year before during the interview process, you could have rolled a bowling ball down Collier Boulevard and never hit a soul. After thinking about it for a bit we could see the benefits to the laid back stye and the quality of life it offers,” said Fahringer.

Whether it was during his 21 years in Syracuse or during the last 29 years in Collier County, Fahringer saw a variety of assignments, all of which provided challenges. Whether it was working undercover, intelligence, drug busts, breaking up prostitution rings, SWAT, marine patrol, dive teams, detective assignments or training responsibilities, Fahringer never was bored. He immersed himself in whatever came his way, enjoying the many challenges and opportunities the job presented.

He worked to develop a rescue diver program, which he is very proud of, in addition to enhancing training opportunities for both police officers as well as fire fighters and EMS personnel.

He teaches situational awareness classes throughout the county. The classes teach how to increase one’s awareness of their surroundings to keep themselves safe and in the event of a criminal encounter, help law enforcement to identify the perpetrators of the crime.

Fahringer has been extremely involved in civic activities within the community as a Rotarian and teaching various classes across the area and here on the island.

In his retirement he will join his wife Kathie, who has been a successful realtor on the island for many years. Geoff is the President-elect of the Marco Island Area Association of Realtors. Kathie and he are the proud parents of three young men, who have become successful in their own right.

The residents of Collier County can be proud of Sgt. Geoff Fahringer, who has served with honor and integrity over these last 29 years, as well as the other local law enforcement professionals serving the community.