Sunrise Beach Police Chief David Slavens submitted a letter of resignation on Wednesday, Sept. 6 to the Sunrise Beach Board of Trustees, officially announcing his plans for retirement. Chief Slavens has been with the Sunrise Beach Police force for 26 years. He will continue to work part-time, until the end of 2017.
“I have worked through four mayors, and it’s been a pleasure and an honor working with every one of them,” Chief Slavens said. “And the citizens of Sunrise Beach have been very supportive of law enforcement.”
Besides working with the Sunrise Beach Police Department, Chief Slavens served with the Camden County SWAT Team and Lake Area Major Case Squad.
“There has been a great deal of growth in Sunrise Beach over the past 26 years,” Slavens said. “The construction of the Community Bridge has greatly increased the flow of traffic from the eastside and has brought a lot more people into the city.”
Chief Slavens has also covered the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout since it came to the Westside 10 years ago. The event brings approximately 100,000 people to the shores of Sunrise Beach, and Chief Slavens estimates it attracts approximately 10,000 shoulder-to-shoulder fans on 10 acres of land at Captain Ron’s Bar and Grill, over the two-day racing event.
The event is a major boon for the city, and the entire Lake area. But Slavens says law enforcement officials struggle to provide the manpower needed for such a large influx of people.
“We are already short staffed, so we find it difficult to be responsible for the safety of that many people,” he said.
Why retirement?
“It gets pretty old having to be an adult babysitter," Slavens said. "And that is what the police do. We babysit adults who can’t take care of own problems. They fight, drink, do drugs and just can’t make it through the day without us, and then we have to get involved, and they are never happy with our decisions. They don’t seem to realize they cause their own problems.”
He says there are rewards in the job, but they are few and far between, like the time he was the first to arrive at a motor vehicle accident. “The vehicle was turned over on it’s top, in a ditch, alongside Highway 5,” Chief Slavens remembered. “I stopped to investigate and discovered an adult male had been thrown from the truck as it flipped. He was pinned under the truck, and his face was smashed into the mud to the point he was unable to breathe. I got out and turned him over and started CPR. I was able to get him to start breathing again, and he is still alive to this day.” Chief Slavens says he runs into the victim from time to time, and the man tells him, “Thank you... you saved my life.”
“Not many take the time to tell you that you are doing a decent job,” Chief Slavens admits. “I wonder, if people appreciate that police officers put their life on the line every day for them. At any given time, they could be killed by a bad guy.” Chief Slavens has been shot at twice, stabbed seven times and he has had his house shot at, during his 26 years of police work. The stabbings took place during a domestic disturbance where he was trying to rescue someone else.
During his time serving with the Camden County SWAT Team he assisted agencies across eight surrounding counties. “We made many dangerous, high-risk warrant arrests,” Chief Slavens said. He also worked on the major case squad for 20 years.
“It’s a hard job,” Chief Slavens added. “But, I can honestly say that I have been thankful for every officer that has ever worked on our team. It takes a certain type of person to pin on that badge every morning. You really don’t know if you are going to come home that evening or not.
"I have asked and required, if possible, all the Sunrise Beach officers to put at least 100 miles on their patrol car during their eight-hour shifts. Some think that is unbelievable, but at the end of the shift, that is what it takes to be seen when you are so short staffed in a large area."
He says the worst problems in Sunrise Beach are drugs and alcohol, and the abuse and crime associated with addictions have increased over the years. “No one really knows how very bad it is,” Chief Slavens revealed. “People think we live in a rural farm/tourist community, but we have everything the big cities have, and the biggest problem is methamphetamine.
“Meth is available on every corner and a lot of people sell it so they can afford to do it. It is out of control because it can be made, rather than imported. The terrible thing about meth is it can kill you and you can become addicted to it in one use. The saddest thing are the children that are in the houses where it is being produced.”
Citizen awareness
Chief Slavens asks citizens to watch their neighborhoods for anything that looks suspicious. “Be aware of your surroundings. Like a lot of cars coming and going, and only staying for brief time periods. They most likely are picking up drugs. Or if you smell a strong chemical smell.” Typical meth users can be spotted by their thinness, having extremely rotted teeth and bad acne and/or facial scarring.” If you suspect there is drug trafficking in your neighborhood, Chief Slavens asks the public to call the police department at 573-374-7757 and leave an anonymous tip. “Sometimes the only way we can find out about illegal activity is through the public, especially in the outer regions of the county.” Meth, while the biggest problem, is not the only drug problem in Sunrise Beach. Chief Slavens says he has seen an increase in crimes related to heroin, cocaine and prescription pain killers abuse as well.
In retirement, Slavens plans to spend more time with his wife Kathryn, of 38 years, his son and daughter in-law John and Anna, and his two grandchildren Brianna and Wyatt.
He will be involved in the screening and interviewing process for the next Sunrise Beach Police Chief and will also make recommendations for his replacement.
