First Sergeant Al Paton
Prince Frederick, MD – It doesn’t take a detective to discover a lot has changed over the last 25 years in the lives of local cops, especially the officers protecting and serving Southern Maryland. First Sgt. Al Paton recalled when he first started as a trooper for the Maryland State Police (MSP), the officers on road patrol sometimes had to find a payphone to make contact with the local barrack following a radio call. After locating the payphone the trooper would provide the phone number via radio and wait for the call. Then troopers were issued pagers and “everybody thought that was a big deal.” While the MSP hesitated at first to embrace cellphones “technology took over,” said Paton. “I get into some of these young troopers cars now and it’s like getting into a spaceship. I don’t even know how they operate some of the stuff they have in there. It’s nice to see road troopers have the equipment they have in there—cameras, radar, automatic tickets, computers. It makes their job easier. It makes them more efficient.”
It’s not the amazing changes in technology, but rather the desire to go fulltime into a different career and a very prudent retirement package that is prompting Paton to end his 26-year stint with the MSP.
The Chopticon High School graduate told The BayNet recently that “I was not one of those kids who wanted to grow up to be a police officer.” However, there was a family member who did leave a positive impression of law enforcement. “I had an uncle who was a game warden in Kentucky,” said Paton. “That sparked my interest.”
After graduating from high school, Paton attended Salisbury University for one year but decided at that point in his life, he preferred the workplace to the classroom. “A friend of mine, Mike Cox, got me interested in the Maryland State Police,” Paton recalled. “They had a good reputation so I decided to apply.”
The sixth months at the MSP’s academy in Pikesville were, in Paton’s words, “pretty intense. A lot of physical training but the classroom activity is pretty difficult. You’re jamming two years of college work into six months of classes.” The academy was run like a paramilitary institution, with frequent inspections and the generous awarding of demerits for those who were slow to catch on. Paton remembers hearing the sounds of suitcases rolling around the barracks at night during his initial evenings at the academy, as several recruits washed out and went home. “A lot of them left the first night,” he stated. “It was a wakeup call. It’s a rough, long six months.”
Paton was part of MSP history as a member of the agency’s 100th academy graduating class. His initial assignment was at the Leonardtown Barrack. While he wasn’t too concerned with encountering people he grew up with, Paton recalled that one of his first assignments helping of troopers transport a suspect from Solomons back to St. Mary’s County. The suspect “turned out to be someone I went to high school with. It was a little awkward.”
After much experience on the road and assignments at barracks in the region, Paton found a niche in criminal investigations. The Leonardtown Barrack, for one, was a full-service MSP barrack, focusing on both investigations and traffic patrol. In 2006, Paton was promoted to the rank of detective sergeant. Once assigned to the Prince Frederick Barrack he became involved with the Calvert Investigative Team.
While Paton acknowledges that the MSP crime lab technicians are held in high regard for providing investigators with great evidence, he conceded, “I was never big on forensics. We have people who do that who would tell me what they found out and we would use it to the best of our ability. But nothing beats going out and beating the bushes. And people are very helpful. Most crime victims end up knowing each other, especially in Calvert County.”
Paton said in his 26-year career he never had any problems with officers from allied agencies. “Southern Maryland is lucky to have such cooperative organizations.” Said Paton.
When the MSP did a major reorganization a few years ago, Paton was promoted to first sergeant and became involved in administration.
While Paton admits police work—with its long, odd-hours shifts, heavy stress and danger—can severely impact an individual’s private life, he has managed to prioritize. “I put my family first,” he said. “It’s difficult in this job but my family has been exceptional. You have to have a balance. You can’t try and be a cop 24 hours a day. But you can’t really punch out a clock like a factory worker.”
Paton mentioned several of his colleagues who had a great deal of influence on him during his career. The list includes former Prince Frederick Barrack commanders Homer Rich and Randy Stephens. “I always looked up to these guys,” he said. “I followed the lead of people who were successful. They showed me the ropes and really treated me well I’ve been lucky to have good barrack commanders.”
As he prepares to leave the Prince Frederick Barrack at the end of June, Paton admitted he would miss wearing the MSP uniform, dealing with the public, mentoring young troopers and the camaraderie within the ranks.
For about 15 years, Paton has had a home improvement license and done contract work in addition to his MSP job. “I’m going to go into the construction business fulltime,” he said. Participation in the MSP’s deferred retirement plan and reaching the mandated year for retirement, “it felt like the right time.”
Paton said once he turns in his gun and badge to the barrack quartermaster his days with the MSP will be done. “Yeah, June 30th, that’s it,” he said.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
