At Monday night’s City Council meeting, Sapulpa Police Department grew by four as they swore in brand new officers. Three of them were women.
The newly sworn-in officers are (left to right) Skylar Vaughn, Cady Byrnes, Jennifer Williams and Jacob Patton.
Nearly all of them have some sort of experience with law enforcement: Skyler Vaughn was a Tulsa County 911 dispatcher.
Jennifer Williams is a native Oklahoman but attended Penn State University on a softball scholarship. After graduation she was hired at the Penn State University Police Department where she worked for 5 years. She decided to come back to Oklahoma and was subsequently hired by SPD.
Jacob Patton worked for the Kiowa Oklahoma Police, and then for the Atoka Oklahoma Police, before joining the Sapulpa Police Department.
Only Cady Byrnes seems to be new to the game, but even a little digging will show you how she seemed destined for the job she now has.
Byrnes had an uncle who was a State Trooper, and a lot of other family who had served in the military. She wanted to follow that route, but her parents initially told her, “go get your degree first”.
So she did; Afterwards she became an assistant Softball Coach at East Central University in Ada while she earned her Masters Degree. Then she spent a year as a high school teacher and softball coach and she drove the bus for Moore Public Schools. She was also a private hitting, speed and agility instructor.
Even so, becoming a police officer was still something she wanted to do. “It’s always been kind of my, dream career,” she told Sapulpa Times in a recent interview.
Before she became a police officer, Byrnes and her husband had moved to Oklahoma City in order for him to take a travelling sales position. Despite the distance, when the chance to become an officer on the Sapulpa Police force opened up, Byrnes knew she had to take a chance.
“I told myself if I didn’t at least try, I’d never forgive myself,” Byrnes says.
This time, her parents were behind her. Byrnes says they told her, “Okay, it’s time to take that chance. We want you to do something you’re meant to do.”
One advantage is that her parents live in town and she stays with them on the days she’s working. Byrnes says the whole experience has been worth the inconveniences. “I couldn’t be happier than I am right now,” she said. “It’s been a great three months.”
