KCPD Mom Savors Family, Career Change

Image of Officer Sutton Smith

On Christmas morning, Sutton Smith’s grandfather made sure he was the one to cook breakfast. Not for his family – but for the inmates at the Andrew County jail in Savannah, Mo.

Smith watched her grandfather, a retired deputy and her hero, try to change lives.

“It wasn’t just a ham sandwich,” Smith said. It was biscuits and gravy, the whole buffet. He believed they still deserved respect and compassion. When he was sick, my mom stepped up, and she went to the jail.”

At 19, Smith tragically lost her mother to a drunk driver. That loss, combined with an admiration for her grandfather, inspired an interest in criminal justice. She thought she’d be an attorney, but Smith had a family by the time she graduated from college. The need to provide for them led her to Missouri’s Division of Family Services, where she first investigated child abuse, and then later became a parole officer.

At 36, and with four children, Smith yearned for something else. Thinking she could better the community, Smith decided to finally apply to the police academy.

“I’m 36, if I’m going to do this, I’ve got to do it,” Smith explained her mindset. “I can’t wait much longer. I either need to jump in and take a leap of faith or let it go.”

Smith, divorced at the time, had support and encouragement from her family. They understood, she said, the greater cause. That was 2007. Today, Smith is a recruiter at KCPD, who has also served in patrol, Youth Services, the Traffic Unit, and as an Internal Affairs detective.

She’s loved her roles, but her favorite is still mother (and grandmother). Smith has four children (one, Bethany, works as a paralegal at KCPD) and a bonus daughter, she says, from a second marriage. Altogether, she has seven grandchildren.

“Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate,” Smith said. “I lost my mom when I was 19. There were many years she wasn’t here to celebrate with. Now, when I have the opportunity to celebrate with my kids, and they’re all going to be here this year, I take it.”

#MothersDay