Mayfield Village Detective Retires After 51 Years With Department

Detective Sgt. Don Smith never thought he'd be part of the Police Department for more than 50 years but just kept going to work because he really enjoyed his job.

"My plan was to work for 33 years," said Smith, who retired on Thursday after almost 51 years in Mayfield Village. Smith said he enjoyed all aspects of the job, including crime scene investigation and testifying in court.

"It's interesting and it's challenging trying to piece things together to make a case," he said.

Prior to being hired by the village in 1961, he was a member of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's office detective bureau and worked investigations in Mayfield Village.

"When I was with the county they had a homicide out here and I worked that a little bit. They also had a safe job," Smith said. "I was taking (patrolman) tests with several other suburban departments and I got to know the chief here and applied. I most likely wouldn't have worked as long with another city."

He cited good relationships with the chiefs he's worked with – Bill Shortow, Don Stevens, Patrick Dearden and Richard Edelman – as a reason he stayed for 51 years. Smith also praised the partners he's had over the years, Ron Prygo, David Liggett, Bill Annandono, Edelman, Paul Jablonski, Paul Matias, Kevin Miller and Mark Justice.

But police work has its downside. "Police officers see a lot of things normal people don't see," Smith said.

That included a 2006 homicide in which a made shot his wife and their 6-year-old daughter. "Seeing that beautiful 6-year-old child, it was just devastating," he said.

The job has its surprises as well. Smith said he was at Richmond Mall with his wife when they were approached by a man he arrested for burglary.

"Someone came up from behind and it was one of the males we had arrested. All were found guilty and were sent to Mansfield (prison)," he said. "He said, 'Mr. Smith, I want to thank you for everything.' That's satisfying. That's happened more than once in my career."

Police work isn't the only job he has done for many years. From 1969 to 1991, he served as a bullpen catcher and threw batting practice for the Cleveland Indians.

"I played a lot of baseball growing up. I had a shot with the Phillies," said Smith, who was catcher on a West High team that lost to East High 2-1 for a city championship in a game played at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

A baseball friend was in charge of the batting practice crew and got Smith a job that  featured highlights such as warming up Dick Bosman before his no-hitter in 1974.

"I caught a lot of good pitchers," Smith said. "Everyone was great to me. They treated me like I was one of the players."

Retirement will provide more time to enjoy the Indians' games, although he's not certain what to expect from the team this season.

"They better get some more pitching," he said.