Time to follow family

By Barry Porterfield

Family and a longing to go home is why Dennis Madison believes the time is almost right to step down as Pauls Valley’s police chief.

Madison has announced he will finish out the month of October before resigning and rejoining his family in Enid on a full-time basis.

“The reason is I’m returning to my home in Enid,” Madison said.

“I’m relocating there. There’s no other reason at all. We’re returning back home. You got to understand, me and my wife have been married 34 years and she followed me through my career. I said ‘when the time’s right I’m willing to follow you,’” he said referring to his wife. “I think I owe that to her.

“I lived there for over 40 years. I raised my family there, went to school there, worked 25 years there, retired from there and wanted to go back.”

Since taking the job of police chief in Pauls Valley in June 2002, Madison said he believes there have been “numerous” positive changes in the local department.

“We got improved salaries, equipment, working conditions and we got much-needed improved community partnerships,” he said with a reference to PV’s residents.

“I think we have a better communication with the public.”

He said it was a different story when he first arrived.

“I think when I first got here they were a little anxious to see what would happen,” Madison said.

“You’ve got the boy from the big city police department come to the small town. I think there was a little adjustment there, but I think we overcame that.”

The chief gives plenty of credit to his officers and staff at the local police department.

“The only reason why the chief is able to accomplish things is because of who he’s surrounded by. We were surrounded by wonderful people that cares about the people they serve and cares about their job. They deserve a big salute,” he said.

He also gave credit to past and present City Council members, along with City Manager James Frizell, for “supporting and improving these much needed changes.”

The biggest change of all is the major renovation project which resulted in a new home for the police department at 400 W. Paul St.

“I can say that when I leave I can look back and see what we have in the form of a new facility,” Madison said.

“That is the shining star for the city, the community, the city government and for the officers,” he said.

“Through the course of the last seven years we’ve grown professionally and displayed a beacon of pride toward our customers with a reward of a new facility.

“There was a lot of positive throughout the years, and we were rewarded by this facility.”

Madison began thinking about retiring in April when he and his wife sold their Pauls Valley home. The following month they purchased a home in Enid.

“Since then she’s been in Enid and I’ve been here,” he said. “I wanted to finish what we got started with this police department facility. I was here at the beginning of the planning, the thoughts, the drawings, the demolition and the rebuild.”

As for that new police station, Madison also gives credit to one other person instrumental in making it happen.

“There’s one person that’s really unsung on this whole facility, our city contractor Bill Pratt,” he said.

“Bill got everything, everybody together and got this thing built, and I don’t think he’s been given the recognition he should have been given.”

Madison said that credit is deserved because Pratt was the city employee who saved the city a lot of money when the city acted as its own contractor for this project.

Overseeing the project, Pratt came up with a bid that was well below any offers from outside contractors, Madison said.

“He saved us money and we’re still under budget. I commend him for what he did and what he gave the city.”

Although Madison is looking forward to spending more time with family, he already has plenty of fond memories of life in Pauls Valley.

“It’s been wonderful here. I’ve enjoyed this for the past seven years,” he said.

“We did a lot in a short period of time. We’ve accomplished a lot together — the employees, the citizens, the council, the city manager.”

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