Published: October 11, 2008 12:15 am      

Edmond's finest extends love to adopted child

EDMOND — Often times, cops on TV are portrayed as borderline ethical, cynical, calloused human beings.

An Edmond Police officer with a heart that could melt a glacier regularly shares his love beyond his family to other youth, and he has forever redirected the life path of a little boy.

Randy Payne, Edmond Police Department’s community relations officer, serves as a liaison to the community for crime prevention and education.

During the years, Randy and his wife Kristy have opened their home to three foster children and eight respite children.

Randy said several years ago, on a Friday afternoon, after the couple had completed their required classes with the Department of Human Services, they received a call about a newborn infant who needed to be placed with a foster family.

The Paynes, who attend services at LifeChurch, already had two children of their own, A.T., who is now 14, and Madison, who is now 12.

“We were all excited,” Randy said. “It was a family thing so we canceled plans and rushed down to this hospital and picked up the little boy who was 2 days old, and he’s been with us ever since.”

In August, when the way was cleared for the Paynes to formally adopt Aaron, now 2, there was complete unity in the family, Randy said.

“Adoption has touched our lives,” Kristy said. “Aaron is not only the apple of Randy and my eyes but of our two older children, too. They adore him.”

Being a foster parent is not all “peaches and cream,” Randy said. Sometimes, the children wake up in the middle night crying, he said. Then there’s the diaper changing, which comes with practice. And, 2-year-olds can behave like, well, 2-year-olds, Randy said.

Despite the necessary government red tape and wait, the experience was worth it, he said.

“It brings joy to you in your heart because you’re helping out where this situation might not be a good one otherwise,” Randy said.



All-star Quarterback

Back in the day, Randy’s mother was an all-around athlete, his father a baseball player.

When Randy was 8-years-old, he fibbed his way into a punt, pass and kick competition. After he won, he had to ‘fess up and tell his parents where he had been. That led to playing football full time.

In Southern California, during his high school years, Randy was a record-setting, passing quarterback, good enough to earn an athletic scholarship from Oregon State University.

Unhappy at Corvallis, he transferred to Riverside Community College (California) and won a national championship in 1989 running an option attack.

While in junior college, he enrolled in a criminal justice class.

“I just found that interesting, helping people out in a time of need,” he said.

Randy also had several family members who had law enforcement careers.

Randy earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Oklahoma In 1994 and he joined the EPD in 1997. He has served as a patrol officer, as a member of the lake patrol squad at Arcadia Lake and as a motorcycle officer and police motorcycle instructor.

Since 2001, he has been a member of Edmond’s special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team.

Members of police SWAT teams are trained to perform tasks like serving high-risk arrest warrants, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism and engaging heavily armed criminals.

In 2002, Randy was named Edmond Police Officer of the Year.



Bright Future

Randy said being a father to Aaron gives him a chance to be a positive role model.

“I feel confident that he’s gonna be a great person,” Randy said. “He’s got a loving home behind him.”

Aaron has had a domino effect. Friends and fellow officers have asked about his experience with being a foster parent, Randy said.

“There’s plenty of kids out there in the world who need foster families, whether it’s foster or adoption,” Randy said. “The shelters are full. They’re overrun.”

Randy encouraged anyone interested in either being a foster parent or adopting to look into it. For more information about adopting through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, visit www.okdhs.org.

The Edmond Sun salutes EPD Officer Randy Payne, one of Edmond’s finest.