A few years ago, I traveled through Paris, Texas, en route to Texarkana. Being that I had never been to Paris (neither France, Texas or Tennessee) before, I wanted to stop at the town’s claim to fame: the Eiffel Tower replica. I was a bit disappointed to see that the Eiffel Tower was about the height of the street lights in the parking lot where it was situated. There was also a tiny cowboy hat perched on top. I found it ironic that in the state where “everything’s bigger,” the Eiffel Tower was so tiny.
But a man who’s a big one in Claremore hails from the small Texas town. Claremore Chief of Police Stan Brown was born the son of a minister in Paris. A portion of his childhood was spent in Needmore, Arkansas, before moving to Catoosa at the age of 11. After high school, Stan started working for himself in the agriculture industry. He then began a job at McNabb Coal before taking a position in transportation maintenance with Tulsa Public Schools. He was still at loose ends and unsure of what he wanted to be “when he grew up,” until a family friend in law enforcement took Stan on a ride-along. That day, Stan got “bit by the bug.”
He joined the Catoosa Police Department in 1989, earning the rank of sergeant after five years. After that, he applied for a position with Claremore Police Department. He’d often been impressed by the larger department, with its nicer cars and snappy uniforms. He landed the job and became a patrol officer in 1994, as well as a firearms instructor. Stan has done an impeccable job of working his way through the ranks, all the way to Chief, which he was named in 2011. He told me that he’s worked every post in the building except Dispatch and Investigator.
Stan had been married back in 1984, the union producing two sons, Chance and Chase, who both live in the Tulsa area. The marriage ended in divorce, and Stan married again. This time, he tragically lost his wife in an auto accident. Still fairly new to Claremore at the time, he was shocked at the outpouring of support not only from his fellow officers, but from the citizens of the community. His jaded outlook on police work changed at that point, and he made a point of refocusing his methods, his purpose, and his legacy. Shortly after, he earned the rank of captain.
In 2006, Stan was promoted to Assistant Chief. In 2011, he married his lovely wife, Robyn, a mortgage banker. They live in Claremore and are actively involved in community efforts and projects.
When the late Mickey Perry was named Chief of Police, he told Stan that he wanted all of the squad cars to have computers in them. Officers lose a lot of time having to travel back to the station to write up reports. If each car had a computer, they could do so much of the paperwork while still out in the field. (Or, as I joked, while they were waiting on a train.) With Stan’s persistence and drive, the petition made its way to the City Council, where it was approved, and new software was purchased for the cars to help with the project. The technology gives the department a better platform for the operation and routing of 911 call, as well. When a call comes in through Dispatch, a host of information will appear on the screen, like the name of the resident and any history of calls from that house in the past. The information will be sent out immediately to all officers in the field, to determine who is closest and can take the call, increasing lead time and efficiency. Training for the system will begin in January and last into March. CPD will be the proud owners of fancy technology, 14 new vehicles and 44 new computers.
Moving into 2015, Chief Brown has several ideas in his hat for the department. He would like to get back to officers having the same uniform for a more similar look. He’s also looking to establish an active social media presence for the department. He has already accomplished quite a bit during his tenure as Chief, like adding an additional resource officer to the schools and reinstating the “Santa Rides” bicycle program, which helps kids in need.
Chief Brown lives by the mantra, “Leadership is an action, not a position.” Police work is his passion, and he takes a servant’s approach to his career. Excellence and accountability are two other mainstays in his attitude. He has dealt with the ugly side of society on a regular basis, folks in nasty situations due to bad choices. His goal as a cop is to do what he can to be fair, and help the greater good. His methods are synonymous with the department’s mission statement: To promote safety, security, and an improved quality of life in and for the City of Claremore through our personal and organizational commitment to excellence and accountability.
The Claremore Police Department hosts numerous events for the community to each year in an effort to get to know the people of Claremore. Two of the most popular are the National Night Out and the annual safety fair. Chief Brown and his officers are just like us. They’re the people of Claremore, too. They’re part of the community. They put on a uniform each day and have promised to protect and serve. To protect and serve us, the good folks of Claremore.
The next time you see an officer, tell him or her “thank you.”
Keep it local, Claremore.
-MCM Staffer Ashley,
daughter of a cop
