By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
It only took a day for Clark to retire and return to work in law enforcement.
Shayne Clark, born in Okarche, who has raised his own children in the Piedmont Public Schools and been a Piedmont resident for two decades, is the new police chief.
Scott Singer retired as Piedmont’s police chief in July. Clark retired from a long career in police work with the Oklahoma City Police Department and before that with Warr Acres police. That left a timely opening for Clark.
Clark’s first day on the job in Piedmont was July 7.
”This is my community as well. I mean I live here. I raise children here. I want this to be successful,” Clark said. “I want us to be a premiere law enforcement organization. I want officers to want to come to work here,” Clark said.
He’s happy to be the police chief in the city he lives in, he said.
“I see a future where we are working with the community we have here. I think that’s where my heart’s at,” Clark said in a recent interview in his office.
He said he wants to build a “premiere” police department where law officers desire to work.
“We treat our employees fairly just like we treat our citizens fairly and work with our community to build that reputation that there is a reason we’re one of the safest cities in Oklahoma, and we want to continue that.”
Piedmont has 12 police officers. There are currently five vacancies, after the city council added two positions to the police department in July and three other positions will be filled.
“I’d like to see the council add a few more to where we have three officers each shift,” Clark said.
Piedmont’s population estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau is 8,445 people as of July 2022.New homes have been built in a year in the Piedmont area, and traffic increases on local roads and streets.
Clark has worked during his career as a patrolman, as a motorcycle officer, a K-9 officer, a tactical team member, worked undercover narcotics, and other duties. He was assigned traffic control to major events with large crowds such as parades, marathons and organized walks in Oklahoma City as a motorcycle officer.
“Then the opportunity came to give back to the city I have lived in the last 20 years,” Clark said.
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