D'Iberville Police Chief reflects on a long law enforcement career ahead of retirement - WLOX
When he officially steps down in March, D’Iberville Police Chief will say goodbye to a department he led for 14 years.
D’IBERVILLE, Miss. (WLOX) - After more than four decades in four departments, including one he built from the ground up, D’Iberville top cop will soon be handing over the reins over to someone else.
Police Chief Wayne Payne is set to retire next month after more than 47 years in law enforcement. The last 14 of those years have been in D’Iberville. He says it’s the people he worked with that he will miss the most.
“They care about what they’re doing, they care about who they serve. It speaks volumes for them,” said Payne. “It’s easy to be the chief when you’ve got that kind of caliber.”
The 14 years in D’Iberville was just the icing on the cake for Payne’s career. He started in 1974 as a Gulfport firefighter, then became a Gulfport police officer. He worked his way up to detective, then chief of detectives. He served as chief of Long Beach police for a year before returning to Gulfport. In 2000, he became chief in Gulfport.
“You know, I’ve seen a lot,” said Payne.
Payne reflected on some of the moments that stand out in his mind, many of which are painful memories, especially those crimes that involved children.
“It was tough. You remember all that,” he said. “I can remember the first homicide I worked on involving a child. Those are the sort of things that will stay. They will stay forever.”
Other memories he holds on to include the loss of fellow law enforcement officers.
“(It) breaks your heart, just breaks your heart. Buford Dedeaux. He was the first officer I rode with as a rookie,” said Payne.
Gulfport Patrolman Dedeaux died in 1979 after being shot while questioning a man on a bicycle he had stopped near 25th Avenue and 34th Street at 12:30 am. During the questioning the suspect produced a .22 caliber handgun from a duffel bag and exchanged shots with Dedeaux, striking him twice.
Just one year before Dedeaux’s death, Payne was shot responding to an incident at a bank. He still has the gun he was shot with and the slug they pulled out of his arm
“We had police scanners back then and my wife heard them talking about it on the radio and, of course, it scared her to death,” he recalled.
Payne and his wife have been married for almost 48 years. They have two sons, both of whom have served in law enforcement. It is for them and all the others in law enforcement who Payne says he has the most respect for.
“They still have the courage to pin that badge on, leave their homes and come protect and serve. That speaks volumes,” said the police chief.
A celebration of Payne’s career will be held from 3-5 pm on March 12 at the D’Iberville Community Center on Lamey Bridge Road.
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source: https://www.wlox.com/2022/02/11/diberville-police-chief-wayne-payne-looks-back-long-successful-law-enforcement-career/
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