Friend us on Facebook
February 16th, 2010
Midwest City police announce promotions
In the mid-1980s when Sid Porter joined the Midwest City Police Department at 21, his youthful appearance led to him being assigned to work undercover as a 19-year-old with substance abuse problems, a young man interested in procuring the services of prostitutes and a budding young gambler.
"It's was like being an actor," Porter said.
Porter spent the next year busting up gambling, prostitution and drug rings in Midwest City, which led to 60 felony arrests and 20 misdemeanors on drug charges alone. After his first year Porter was set to go undercover at Midwest City High School when the plan hit a snag. Prior to joining the department, he had been the assistant manager at a local grocery store and bumped into one of his former employees at the high school shortly after enrolling as a new student.
When the student saw Porter walking down the hall he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Not wanting to jeopardize his cover Porter's superiors pulled him off undercover and he went on to a career that took him to nearly every area and post within the department.
In December, after 26 years with the MCPD, Porter was promoted to assistant chief of police. Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes also promoted Jack Kelley to major, Mark Teply to captain and Jonathan Goforth to lieutenant.
The promotions came about when J.D. Collins, former assistant chief of police, retired after 30 years with the department.
"That really creates a domino effect," Clabes said.
INTERNAL CANDIDATES
Each candidate for a new position and rank goes through a set of tests and must meet certain requirements. Each candidate's accolades and reason for wanting a specific promotion are then presented to a committee and Clabes makes the final decisions. Clabes likes to promote from within so that the department and the community see the same faces just in different positions. It is also a chance to reward those who have proven themselves invaluable assets to the department.
"You want someone who is going to help you meet the mission of the police department," he said "You've also got to have leaders who have vision because we don't want to be stagnant; you want to move into the future."
Clabes, who has been with the department 30 years and spent the last decade as chief, is also seeing his staff stick around longer than was common in the past.
"When I started most officers would retire right at 20 years," he said. "Now we're seeing officers stay 30, 35 years."
Porter worked his way up through the department all the way to his current office, but speaks fondly of those early days spent undercover. He recalled his first months dealing with dangerous criminals unarmed.
"Back then I didn't have a weapon with me for the first three or four months," he said. "Then I had an incident where I had a gun pulled on me and we made sure I got one after that."
Porter, originally from Gardner, Kan., got his taste of a life in law enforcement watching his father, who worked from the sheriff's department for Johnson County in suburban Kansas City.
The family moved to Oklahoma when Porter was junior in high school and his father went to work as a security supervisor at the General Motors plant in south Oklahoma City. The bug for public service also rubbed off on Porter's brother Brent, a Norman firefighter, and Ryan, a homicide detective in Oklahoma City.
FIRST CALL
After Moore High School and the police academy Porter applied at the police departments in Moore, Midwest City and Del City. His decision to join the Midwest City Police Department was a simple matter of them getting back with him first.
"I always said whoever called me first is where I go," he said.
Now after nearly three decades in Midwest City, Porter is proud of his community, the department, his colleagues and especially Clabes.
"He's a very personable chief," Porter said.
Clabes praised Porter and the entire staff, which includes 93 commissioned officers and 27 civilians, who work together daily to serve the people of Midwest City.
"As police chief, I'm very fortunate to have that type of team to work with," he said.
Porter has his eyes on being chief one day, but isn't measuring the drapes in Clabes' office just yet. Instead he wants to work with Clabes for several more years and when the chief is ready to retire Porter will then consider moving into Clabes' current digs. But no matter when or if he ever becomes chief, Porter said there is no place else he'd rather be than in the department.
"It's was like being an actor," Porter said.
Porter spent the next year busting up gambling, prostitution and drug rings in Midwest City, which led to 60 felony arrests and 20 misdemeanors on drug charges alone. After his first year Porter was set to go undercover at Midwest City High School when the plan hit a snag. Prior to joining the department, he had been the assistant manager at a local grocery store and bumped into one of his former employees at the high school shortly after enrolling as a new student.
When the student saw Porter walking down the hall he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Not wanting to jeopardize his cover Porter's superiors pulled him off undercover and he went on to a career that took him to nearly every area and post within the department.
In December, after 26 years with the MCPD, Porter was promoted to assistant chief of police. Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes also promoted Jack Kelley to major, Mark Teply to captain and Jonathan Goforth to lieutenant.
The promotions came about when J.D. Collins, former assistant chief of police, retired after 30 years with the department.
"That really creates a domino effect," Clabes said.
INTERNAL CANDIDATES
Each candidate for a new position and rank goes through a set of tests and must meet certain requirements. Each candidate's accolades and reason for wanting a specific promotion are then presented to a committee and Clabes makes the final decisions. Clabes likes to promote from within so that the department and the community see the same faces just in different positions. It is also a chance to reward those who have proven themselves invaluable assets to the department.
"You want someone who is going to help you meet the mission of the police department," he said "You've also got to have leaders who have vision because we don't want to be stagnant; you want to move into the future."
Clabes, who has been with the department 30 years and spent the last decade as chief, is also seeing his staff stick around longer than was common in the past.
"When I started most officers would retire right at 20 years," he said. "Now we're seeing officers stay 30, 35 years."
Porter worked his way up through the department all the way to his current office, but speaks fondly of those early days spent undercover. He recalled his first months dealing with dangerous criminals unarmed.
"Back then I didn't have a weapon with me for the first three or four months," he said. "Then I had an incident where I had a gun pulled on me and we made sure I got one after that."
Porter, originally from Gardner, Kan., got his taste of a life in law enforcement watching his father, who worked from the sheriff's department for Johnson County in suburban Kansas City.
The family moved to Oklahoma when Porter was junior in high school and his father went to work as a security supervisor at the General Motors plant in south Oklahoma City. The bug for public service also rubbed off on Porter's brother Brent, a Norman firefighter, and Ryan, a homicide detective in Oklahoma City.
FIRST CALL
After Moore High School and the police academy Porter applied at the police departments in Moore, Midwest City and Del City. His decision to join the Midwest City Police Department was a simple matter of them getting back with him first.
"I always said whoever called me first is where I go," he said.
Now after nearly three decades in Midwest City, Porter is proud of his community, the department, his colleagues and especially Clabes.
"He's a very personable chief," Porter said.
Clabes praised Porter and the entire staff, which includes 93 commissioned officers and 27 civilians, who work together daily to serve the people of Midwest City.
"As police chief, I'm very fortunate to have that type of team to work with," he said.
Porter has his eyes on being chief one day, but isn't measuring the drapes in Clabes' office just yet. Instead he wants to work with Clabes for several more years and when the chief is ready to retire Porter will then consider moving into Clabes' current digs. But no matter when or if he ever becomes chief, Porter said there is no place else he'd rather be than in the department.
"I've really been blessed to be here for my 26 years," he said. "I wouldn't want to work anywhere else."
photo In December, Sid Porter was promoted to assistant chief of police for Midwest City. Porter began his career 26 years ago working undercover and worked his way up through the ranks. Photo/Kelley Chambers
Copyright ©2012 Eastword News. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of content in any manner without permission is prohibited. To obtain permission, contact us.