When Cyril Pafford reports for work, he passes through a few locked doors on his way to a dimly lit room that passersby cannot see into and where computers and cameras are tools of the trade.
Pafford, 48, is a Barton County Detention Center deputy; he has been on the job for almost six years.

To say that he arrived here in a roundabout way is not an exaggeration. He is from Labrador City in Newfoundland, Canada.
“My wife, Susan, is from Great Bend and had met my mom and sister online because of a common interest. Susan came to Canada to visit,” he said. “I met her too, and a couple of years later we got married.”

Cyril and Susan had thought they might live in Canada but the company Cyril worked for went out of business. One circumstance led to another, and they moved to Great Bend in April 2000. Pafford, who became a U.S. citizen in 2013, brought with him a varied military and job history.
“I have military training and worked in the security field in Canada,” Pafford recalled. “I was trained in the Royal Canadian Artillery and was there for 2-and-a-half years.”

He worked in maintenance at CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions and in security at the former Central Kansas Medical Center. “There are not a lot of actual security jobs locally. I have drilled water wells, driven tractor-trailers, been a commercial fisherman – just about everything you could think of,” he said. “I wanted this job because of the security aspects and the stability."

Detention deputies’ responsibilities include: handling book-in procedures; fingerprinting; taking photos and DNA swabs; writing arrest reports; monitoring prisoners constantly in person and by camera; scheduling court dates; transporting prisoners to court and medical appointments; and providing meals.
There are six inmate living pods for males and two for females, along with two cells for juveniles and four holding cells. Two to six detention deputies are on duty, depending on the situation.
The jail serves all Barton County law enforcement agencies; it also collaborates with many surrounding counties on a regular basis, while working with agencies throughout Kansas and the country.

“Most agencies do anything they can to help with transporting prisoners,” Pafford noted.
While detention deputies don’t need to be trained at the police academy, they are sworn deputies.
“We don’t get all the glory,” Pafford laughed. “We don’t have the sirens and flashing lights. People forget about us but it goes with the job. We just aren’t in the public eye. This is not a problem for us. We are not in it for those flashing lights.”
Nevertheless, detention deputies have some of the same rigorous training that other officers do. “We qualify at the gun range every three months and are trained in using Tasers and pepper spray.”

Their experiences take the phrase “hands-on training” to a whole new level. Officers must subject themselves to being zapped with a Taser stun gun, pepper sprayed and exposed to tear gas.
“They don’t want us to handle things if we don’t know what the effects are,” Pafford explained. “We need to understand what these things will do to someone and understand how serious this is.”
A stun gun results in “five seconds of pure agony,” Pafford acknowledged. “But I will take a Taser over pepper spray anytime. That pepper can last longer and it’s like sand in your eyes. But there is no permanent damage.
“We decontaminate prisoners humanely by sending them right to the shower here and telling them to ‘flush it, flush it,’” Pafford said.
Tasers and pepper spray are used to incapacitate someone in a volatile situation. “We try not to use them,” he commented. “In my years here, I have never used a Taser and used pepper spray only once.
“And I have never pulled my gun. But I know how to do it and I can do it. At the end of the day, I am going home to my family.”
The Paffords have five children: Christopher, 29, who has eight children of his own; Gracie, 15; Lakin, 15; Geoffrey, 15; and Leann, 14. They were foster parents and adopted Lakin, Geoffrey and Leann.

Jail activities

At certain times of the year, the jail population averages around 75, but during warmer months, the average is more than 100.
Warmer temperatures mean it is easier for people to get around if they are looking for crimes of opportunity. In addition, potential victims are more lax about locking things up.
“There is more traffic in and out of the house, and sometimes we get complacent,” Pafford said. “A guy might grab a TV or purse that is right inside the window and say ‘Merry Christmas to me.’
“Also,” he continued, “there are more domestic problems with heat and alcohol consumption. In the summer there is more drinking and longer hours. Many crimes are related to alcohol or drugs.”
Those accused of these and other crimes wind up in a cell – at least for a while, and sometimes for a long while. About 65 percent are awaiting a court hearing while the rest are serving sentences.
“The arresting officer might deal with them for 20 minutes but we deal with them for days, months and even years,” Pafford said. “Some want to tell us their version of the what, who and why of everything but we don’t want to become involved. Others want to do their time and get out. Actually, we have a good bunch of inmates right now. They let us know if something is going on. We also have a great staff.
“A few inmates will specifically set out to tick us off,” he added. “They have all the time in the world to think of something just for the fun of it.”
Inmates have a few incentives to obey the rules, such as shooting hoops in the gym and watching TV.
“Inmates are human beings and should be treated like human beings,” he explained. “Activities break up the day and give them less time to think about what else they could be doing. And if they break the rules, the incentives are taken away.
“We treat them well,” Pafford added. “There is no sense in treating someone like a non-person. If you want to be treated right, you treat others right.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of a series about local law-enforcement officers.