OXFORD – Chief Deputy Sheriff James Davis has submitted his notice of retirement after a 34-year law enforcement career that ended in allegations of domestic harassment.

Oxford County Sheriff Lloyd “Skip” Herrick said Davis informed him last week that he will retire effective this morning.

Davis, chief deputy since 1992, has been on administrative leave since July while claims that he harassed his former girlfriend are being investigated by the Attorney General’s Office.

On Wednesday, the 59-year-old Davis said he will take some time off to consider his options. He also said the decision to retire was not an easy one.

“If you’ve done one thing for your entire adult life, you’re surely going to miss it,” he said. “The people that I’ve worked with are nothing but the best in law enforcement. This was the best job I could have hoped for. I’ll miss it, but it’s time to get out and do something else.”

Earlier this year, Oxford postal employee Marilee Cooper filed for an order of protection against Davis, claiming the chief deputy began harassing her and her friends after the couple broke up.

In a two-page complaint, Cooper claimed she had received unwanted letters from Davis, as well as phone calls to her home on Poland Road, to the post office where she worked, and on her cell phone.

At a court hearing July 31, Davis was ordered to stay away from Cooper, who lives next door to him. He also was prohibited from possessing any firearms, at least until the next court hearing scheduled for Oct. 24.

Herrick opted in July to place Davis on administrative leave while the matter is being handled in court. On Wednesday, Herrick said he could not talk about the pending case. However, he did point out that Davis had not been the subject of any other disciplinary action in his 14-year career with the sheriff’s department, or during his previous 20 years with the Maine Warden Service.

“His contributions to the sheriff’s office have resulted in a lot of improvements,” Herrick said of his retiring chief deputy. “He really stepped up to the plate and made service to the community a lot better. He told me he is retiring for the betterment of the agency and for himself. I applaud him for that.”

Davis on Wednesday also did not discuss the allegations against him. He said he would spend the early part of his retirement fixing up his home and mulling the future.

“I’m going to take a look at my options,” he said. “I’m not one to sit around doing nothing.”