By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
David Paden was born in Plainville, Kansas, but moved with his family to Great Bend when he was seven years old. Working a few different jobs, he eventually decided to give law enforcement a try. For more than 32 years, Paden has called the Barton County Sheriff’s Office his second home, but the lieutenant will retire this month.
“It’s never been just a job for me,” said Paden. “It really is a lifestyle.”
As a child, David’s father, Don, was part of the Great Bend Police Department reserves. As a ventriloquist, Don performed safety programs for the police department with his dummy named Jonnie.
“My dad had a uniform and there was a specially-made uniform they put on Jonnie,” said Paden. “I was able to get to know a lot of the old-school cops when I was real young.”
Paden applied at the Barton County Sheriff’s Office in 1992 and was initially put in the reserve program. He was then hired as a detention deputy for the jail where he spent six months.
“I got offered a spot on patrol in 1993, went to the police academy and got certified,” said Paden. “I eventually went to the detective division where I spent 18 years.”
In late 2021, Paden was promoted to lieutenant.
There is a lot of pride with the last name of Paden and working in law enforcement. Along with his father, David’s brother, Bill, is the patrol sergeant with the Great Bend Police Department. David’s son, Mason, is with the Hoisington Police Department.
“My dad taught me a long time ago that you treat others the way you want to be treated,” said Paden. “I would say 95-percent of the people I have contacted in my career, whether that’s writing tickets to or arresting, they understood I was doing my job and it was never anything personal against them.”
Prior to his law enforcement career, Paden worked for an upholstery business, learning how to do car interiors. He plans on getting back into the upholstery field upon his retirement.
“I don’t really have any other strict plans after that. I’m not old enough to completely retire. Of course, I don’t want to do that. I’m a guy that’s always on the go doing something. The wife has a lot of projects that I probably started and haven’t completed. A lot of that is going to get completed.”
Paden’s official retirement date is April 30.