Just months into his now 50-year law enforcement career, a young Trooper Floyd Golden poses with his Ohio State Highway Patrol cruiser in 1971. Golden served with the OSP for 26 years. (Photo submitted)
Marysville Police Chief celebrates 50 years behind the badge
Many police officers have one case they remember — a criminal that got away, a case miraculously solved or one that remains unsolved.
But for Marysville Police Chief Floyd Golden, the image that sticks in his mind is a table set for four.
Golden said he didn’t work as a detective but rather drove the roads as a highway patrolman in his early days. He remembers a fatal crash that took the lives of a young husband and wife on their way to her mother’s home. After assisting at the scene, Golden was tabbed to notify the family.
He said the mother knew immediately something was wrong — her daughter was late and now a trooper was at her door.
Golden said the woman invited him inside.
“And I remember looking over at the dinner table and seeing it was set for four people, and I knew…” Golden said, his voice cracking as he worked to compose himself.
Even with the family notifications, which Golden said is by far the worst part of any of his jobs, he said that “overall, it’s been a pretty good career.”
Golden, who currently serves as chief of the Marysville Division of Police, is celebrating 50 years in law enforcement.
A Jonathan Alder graduate, Golden joined the Navy after high school, earning the rank of Aviation Fire Control Technician Second Class during his enlistment.
When he returned, he bounced around a bit, and took a job as an electronics technician in Columbus before a conversation with his father changed his life.
“My father, Bill Golden, was my inspiration for becoming a law enforcement officer,” Golden said, calling his father, “a mentor for all of us.”
Bill Golden was highway patrolman, a Union County Sheriff’s Deputy and, from 1973 to 1986, the chief of police in Plain City.
Floyd would on occasion help in the county communications division or ride along in his father’s cruiser.
“I was riding with him and I said, ‘I would like to get into law enforcement,’” Golden recalled.
That evening, Bill Golden radioed a colleague who happened to have an application to the patrol academy.
“I filled it out and within six months, I was in the academy so it happened pretty quick,” Golden said.
After graduating, Golden started as a trooper at the Granville Patrol Post, before promotions to Assistant Post Commander at the Van Wert Post and the Delaware Post.
“I considered retired OSHP Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert Jones a friend and mentor starting while I was a sergeant at the Delaware Post and throughout the rest of my patrol career,” Golden said.
Along the way, Golden earned an associate’s degree in Law Enforcement from Columbus Technical Institute, now known as Columbus State Community College.
In 1992, Golden was named Post Commander of the Milan Post, located on the Ohio Turnpike, and in 1994 was tabbed as Post Commander of the Marysville Post.
By 1997, Golden had 26 years with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and was nearing the age of mandatory retirement. At the time, Union County was building the Discipline and Rehabilitation Center. A friend contacted him about running it for then-sheriff John Overly.
“I just thought it was time,” Golden said of his move to the Sheriff’s Office.
He said he felt his experience and training in the Ohio State Highway Patrol, “provided a basis for me to be successful in both the Sheriff’s Office as well as the Marysville Division of Police.”
Golden had actually applied for the Marysville Police Chief position, but pulled his application to take the position.
He said he had always enjoyed working with the sheriff and his deputies and felt the move would be good for him and his family.
In all, Golden served seven years with the Union County Sheriff’s Office as the commander of the Support Services Division which included the Communications Division, the Court Services Division, and the Community Services Division.
For a brief time between when Overly retired and Rocky Nelson was appointed, Golden served as interim sheriff.
In 2004, Golden applied to be Chief of Police a third time. He pulled his application in 1997 and applied in 2000 when Eugene Mayer was appointed.
“I saw it as an opportunity,” Golden said. “It looked like it would be a challenge. It was something I hadn’t done before, leading an organization.”
He said that while he commanded several posts and led several bureaus, he was never the ultimate leader for an organization.
On April 17, 2004, then-mayor Tom Kruse appointed Golden as Chief.
“I learned quickly, I was a lot more involved in decision making,” Golden said. “I learned a lot about local law enforcement and community and community relations.”
In addition to his duties as police chief, he is also a deputy city manager and serves as the acting city manager if the city manager is out of the region or unable to serve temporarily. For a time in 2011, Golden also served as the interim city administrator while that position was vacant.
Is that a position he could ever see himself in long term?
“Oh no, not at all,” he said quickly.
Later this year Golden will celebrate 17 years with the City of Marysville.
“To me, that’s about as big a thing as 50 years in law enforcement,” Golden said, adding, “the time has gone so fast.”
But his most impressive milestone, he says is the 55 years of marriage to his wife, Phyllis Pine Golden.
He said she has, “supported me with my chosen career, and experienced and dealt with many of the sacrifices of a law enforcement wife, mother and grandmother of law enforcement officers for a total of 50 years so far.”
As proud as he is of his father, the officer, he is equally proud of his entire law enforcement family. Golden said he knows how difficult it can be to have a father in law enforcement so he appreciates that several generations behind him have chosen law enforcement.
Family members in law enforcement
Many of Marysville Police Chief Floyd Golden’s family members serve in law enforcement, as well, including:
– His father: Bill, Plain City Police Department Chief and Union County Sheriff’s Office deputy
– His brother: Steve, former part-time Plain City Police Department officer
– His sister: Donna, Marysville dispatcher
– Donna’s husband: Ken Nicol, retired Marysville Police Department Assistant Chief
– Donna’s son: Craig Nicol, former Marysville Police Department officer
– His son: Shawn, Union County Sheriff’s Office detective
– His daughter: Wendy, paralegal
– Wendy’s husband: David Phillips, Union County Prosecuting Attorney
– David’s daughter: Elizabeth, Columbus Police Department officer
– Wendy’s son: Nick, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office deputy
He noted that if he were to do something other than law enforcement, he might like to be a paramedic or an EMT.
“I think I would like that. I think it would be interesting,” Golden said.
But not a firefighter?
“I don’t like ladders,” he laughed.
He said that over a 50-year career a lot has changed. He specifically noted the role of technology. He said that when he started, if law enforcement made a traffic stop, they would need to go back to their cruiser to radio in a license plate number. The dispatcher would check an actual book for the number. An out of county plate required a call to the other county, where that dispatcher would need to go through their book.
“There was none of this computerized stuff,” Golden said.
The chief said that while much has changed, a lot is still the same.
“As important as quality communications equipment, computers, video cameras and all of the other benefits of modern technology, much of successful criminal investigations still rely on the officer on the street and what some may call old fashioned police work,” Golden said
He explained that while he enjoyed new challenges that leadership brought, he always enjoyed being on the officer on the street.
“It was always interesting to be on the road where things were happening,” Golden said, but acknowledged that someone wanting to advance their career can’t stay on the road forever.
Golden said he has, “had interesting things at every stop, things I really enjoyed” adding that he has been, “fortunate to have served at each agency.”
“Although each one is law enforcement, they have all been different in many ways,” Golden said. “My position in each has been in line with the mission of that agency.”
Current Marysville Police Chief Floyd Golden has served with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Union County Sheriff’s Office as well as the city police department. Above, Golden, right, poses with his father, Francis “Bill” Golden. At the time of the picture in 1971, Floyd Golden was an OSP trooper and his father was with the Union County Sheriff’s Office. (Photo submitted)