Mayfield Village Police Chief Dearden to Retire

To retiring Police Chief Patrick Dearden, Mayfield Village served as his version of Mayberry.

As television Sheriff Andy Griffith did in his town, Dearden was able to take the time to get to know residents during his years on the beat in Mayfield Village. Dearden, who has been chief for nine years, said on nice days he misses going out and driving around town.

"We've been fortunate in this community. The demand for services in the '60s and '70s was far less than it is today. You were able to talk to them almost like you're Andy from Mayberry where you know them by name. Instead of an address, you'd be going over to Roy Jones' house," he said.

Dearden, who will retire on April 22, started his police career in Cleveland Heights and joined Mayfield Village police on Jan. 1, 1975.

"Police work is a family tradition. My grandfather was a Cleveland policeman," Dearden said. He also has a brother and uncle who were policemen.

"You grow up in an atmosphere where some things seem natural," he said.

Still, the fit might not had been as good if he stayed in Cleveland Heights. He hadn't planned on leaving, but he saw ads for a civil service test and he and another officer applied in Mayfield Village.

"When I came out here, it just really clicked for me," Dearden said.

Although he grew up in South Euclid, he admitted that he didn't know where Mayfield Village was and only knew of Mayfield Heights.

"People hear Mayfield High School and think of Mayfield Heights. A lot of people don't realize it's in Mayfield Village," he added.

Working in Mayfield Village allowed Dearden the time to stop and talk to people while on patrol.

"You can spend an hour to work through to a solution to a problem," he said. "There's not the pressure on officers to get in and out quickly."

Getting to know people was his favorite part of the job.

"The things I've liked most is when you can be helpful and creating a lot of friendly relationships with residents and business people," he said. "More of the neighborhood cop on the street. This is a good setting for that. I'm not sure that if I stayed in Cleveland Heights that the working atmosphere would be the same. When you're busy you have less time to put into the community relations aspect."

As for career highlights, Dearden said he takes more of a general view rather than citing specific situations.

However, he is proud of the new police station that opened in 2010.

"As far back as 1978 they were telling us that we were going to get a new building," he said.

Dearden and Building Commissioner John Marrelli worked with Panzica Construction Company architects in creating the design.

"That part of the job was an accomplishment. I had never designed anything before," he said.

But when people suggest that the new station serves as his legacy, Dearden said he tells them, "It's your legacy. It's not my legacy, it's the legacy of the people of Mayfield Village."

He said he's also pleased that he never had to fire his gun. "It's good when you're able to get through your career and not use your weapon. There's never a good outcome to that," Dearden said.

Dearden said he considered retiring years ago and might have done so if the chief position had not become available.

"I probably would have retired 10 years ago," he said. "That opened up a whole new area to experience."

Dearden said he also enjoyed working with Mayor Bruce Rinker and village council members.

Although he liked his job, Dearden said being a policeman can be difficult at times. "You try to keep your mind on the good times. That one person that you helped that no one else found the ability to help."

The toughest part of the job was spending a lot of time away from his family.
 
"My biggest disappointment is missing out when the kids were young. The job took me away from a lot of family commitments," he said. "You realize that there are things more important than the job sometimes."

He intends to make up for that by traveling with his wife and spending more time with his grandchildren. "They're at the ages where they always have something going on," he said.