SCPD Deputy Chief Patty Sapone Calls It Quits

The walls inside Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Patty Sapone’s office are blank and boring these days. Gone are the photos, awards, knickknacks and posters that, for 30 years, accumulated at the various workspaces Sapone occupied at headquarters. On Feb. 5, Sapone turns in her gun and badge for retirement. She leaves as the first woman to be promoted all the way through the ranks and the longest-serving female officer in department history, a trailblazing role in the era of Police Woman and Charlie’s Angels.
“There was no me when I started,” says Sapone. “Back then there were policemen who were paid more and had more status, and there were policewomen who were paid less and had less status. Now, no one is the slightest bit surprised to see a female officer serving alongside them. In fact, I think the community demands it.”
At headquarters, a light drizzle is patting the windows as Lt. Rick Martinez runs a meeting. Rookie officers and veteran lieutenants snap to attention when Sapone walks in the room, but the mood is cheerful as the gang poses for a grinning photo with her. In her trademark round glasses, Sapone points to a “Policeman” badge next to a “Policewoman” badge in a display case packed with memorabilia. The two ID’s, she says proudly, have since been consolidated into a single “Police Officer” badge.
“It’s a different place than when I started in 1980, that’s for sure,” she says. “I like to think I helped that.”
Of the 96 sworn officers at SCPD, nine are women. Lt. Colleen McMahon is one of them. She says the deputy chief’s journey through the ranks provided inspiration to her and others, not just because she was a successful female officer but because she was simply a good cop.
“Not many officers, male or female, can last through a 30-year career,” says McMahon. “She brought a focus on community response and community interaction that will stay with the department for a long time. She’s always been able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the guys.”
Santa Cruz City Manager Dick Wilson is one of the few city employees who can claim to know what Santa Cruz was like before Sapone wore blue. Wilson, who was hired in 1979 and recently announced his own retirement at the end of July, remembers her as an “extraordinary trailblazer” and says she’ll be sorely missed.
“Of the women who joined a police force in her day, very, very few were promoted through the ranks. She’s part of an elite group of people,” says Wilson. “She has always been focused outwardly on the community. She’s patient, a good listener and can deal effectively between the city and the police department. She’s been very much a positive force in Santa Cruz.”
Sapone will continue teaching police academy courses, which she’s done for a number of years. She also promises to stay involved with the Santa Cruz community, though she perhaps made some city and county leaders breathe easier by claiming to have no political aspirations.
“Politics aren’t really my bag,” she says with a chuckle. “I’d get calls almost every year from someone in the county asking if I was going to run for sheriff or something. Don’t worry, guys, I’m not really that interested in it. I had a great career and I’ll miss the job and the people, but it’s time to move on.”