by Melissa McPherson

Detective Brad Patton always knew he wanted to work in law enforcement. He grew up watching The Rockford Files and Adam 12 and would listen to a neighbor’s police scanner on the weekends, imagining himself as a crime fighter.  

Originally from Hartland, Detective Patton worked for the Brighton Police Department for several years before he was promoted to detective in 2002. He spent 18 years with the department, including six years on a DEA task force before retiring in 2020.

In 2025, Detective Patton found himself missing the work. He had collaborated with Unadilla Township’s Chief Russell on a few cases and knew working for Russell would be a positive experience. When a position opened up at Unadilla Township Police Department (UTPD), Patton got recertified through the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) and was hired in April.

Patton handles UTPD cases that require deeper investigation, including fraud and identity theft. In fact, much of his current caseload involves financial crimes and identity theft.

“Every day is different,” Patton said. “There’s no typical day in law enforcement.”

He mentioned that one of the biggest challenges is the role technology plays in modern crime. Particularly when the crime involves children.

“There are so many predators out there,” he said. “Parents need to know who their kids are talking to, whether it’s on social media, websites, or even in games.”

The internet and technology make it easy for people to hide and can make it difficult to identify a criminal. The process takes a long time. It’s not like TV where everything is solved in 20 minutes, which is ironic considering the time Patton dedicated to viewing detective shows as a child. Identifying a suspect in a fraud case can take six to eight weeks, followed by the additional work of locating, interviewing, and arresting that person.

Despite the challenges, Patton finds the work rewarding.

“The best part is telling a victim that you’ve solved their case and charges are pending,” he said. “It puts an end to their worry.”

Outside of work, Patton enjoys working on construction projects. He and his wife, Jessica, have even flipped three homes together and hope to take on another project in the future. The couple has been married for 33 years. They met in seventh grade but didn’t get together romantically until after they had both graduated high school. Now they have two grown daughters.

Though the job can expose him to the worst in people, Patton makes a conscious effort to leave that behind at the end of the day.

“In law enforcement, you see the bad side of people,” he said. “But when you get home, you try to shut that off so you can live a normal life.” After more than two decades in law enforcement, what keeps him motivated is the challenge itself.

“I enjoy putting the puzzle pieces together and figuring things out,” he said.

Patton also emphasizes that a career in law enforcement is about more than a paycheck.

“It’s about making a difference in someone’s life and being a positive influence,” he said.

For Patton, the meaning of service is simple but powerful: being there for someone in need and helping prevent harm before it happens.