A Columbia police officer is starting off his new year with some time for rest and relaxation as he stepped away last week from the department after 22 years.

Officer Steve Patton is originally from Fairview Heights and attended Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville.

Though the bulk of his career was spent with the Columbia Police Department, Patton began his career with the Cahokia Police Department in 1997.

Patton explained that law enforcement was something he effectively happened into as he was attending Southwestern Illinois Community College in Belleville.

“I think something developed in college,” Patton said. “I tried other subjects and had no interest. Started taking administration of justice classes at SWIC and became interested in that.”

Not long after he started in Cahokia, Patton made his way to Columbia, getting commissioned at the department in 2000. He officially joined the department a year later in July 2001.

Over the years, Patton was active on a number of different task forces for the department, including the Major Case Squad, Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois – focusing on drug investigations – and the department’s investigations unit.

Also among these task forces – and the role Patton spoke most about – was the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force.

As he worked on this part of the department from Dec. 2019 to Sept. 2023, Patton explained that this work saw him largely going across the river to higher crime areas.

He recalled how his investigations there often led to sudden bursts of action, which is part of the reason why his time on this task force stands out so much for him.

“It was the most exciting, most fun,” Patton said. “You’d see a car behind an abandoned house, pull your truck behind there and all of a sudden the car takes off. You don’t realize it’s occupied. Or people bail from the car, and they’ve got guns on them.”

Patton added that, while many of the individuals he encountered during these altercations were armed, he was lucky enough to only be shot at once.

“My wife’s thankful I’m done with that stuff, but it was fun,” Patton said.

As far as on-the-job anecdotes, the main response that came to mind for Patton was the Chris Coleman triple-murder case in 2009. He was one of the first few officers on the scene.

In addition to these primary responsibilities, Patton was also one of the first board members for the Columbia Caring for Our Community organization, which annually provides food, clothing, gifts and other supplies to those in the community who require assistance during the holidays.

On an additional lighter note, Patton also had the honor of appearing in the movie “Bad Grandmas.” The film was shot in downtown Columbia, and Patton went uncredited in his role as one of the appearing officers.

Columbia Police Chief Jason Donjon offered plenty of praise for Patton, noting that the retiring officer actually did his background when he was being brought into the department.

“He’s a great officer, and I’m proud to call him my friend, too,” Donjon said. “I’ve known him my whole career… I got to work with him for many years, and he’s a great guy, great officer, great detective, great investigator.”

Speaking generally on his over 26-year career in law enforcement, Patton was quite positive overall.

He said the job was fun most of the time and was broadly a good experience.

“I believe the job was very rewarding,” Patton said. “Helping people who need assistance who can’t solve problems on their own and need the police to solve their issue.”

Patton said he simply felt it was the right time for him to retire now. He’s looking to try a different career, but is currently just focusing on relaxing for a couple months while he keeps his options open.