A special badge was issued to commemorate Murphy PD’s 50 years of dedicated service. Courtesy photo
Back in 1975, Murphy was a tiny agricultural town of only around 150 residents. Although the city officially incorporated in 1958, it remained rural through the early 1970s with police protection provided by part-time or volunteer staff.
Fred Garwacki became town marshal in 1979, patrolling in his father’s station wagon, and police chief in 1980, serving until his retirement in 2005.
Murphy’s transformation from rural quiet community to a vibrant bedroom city accelerated in the late 1990s, aided by the opening of the President George Bush Turnpike in 1999.
That sparked a housing boom and new commercial development. By late 2002 the population was about 6,500, rising to 12,000 by 2006, and 17,708 by 2010.
As the city grew — surrounded by Plano, Richardson, Sachse, Wylie and other suburbs — public safety responsibilities expanded accordingly.
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