Photo by Hunter Wilson/Daily News Smiths Grove Police Chief Tom Suoy stands Friday downtown. He is the only member of the city’s police force.

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Smiths Grove’s new police chief has gone from having his family “adopted” by a local church when he was a child to protecting the community.

Tom Suoy came to Smiths Grove from Cambodia at the age of 10 when Smiths Grove United Methodist Church sponsored his family. His parents have since moved from Smiths Grove, but still attend the church.

“I grew up in Smiths Grove and graduated from Warren East (High School),” he said. “Smiths Grove has always been home.”

Suoy was hired as chief in December after former chief Johnny Vance left the department to take a job with the Western Kentucky University Police Department. Suoy’s alone on the force, but the next step for the department is to hire a part-time officer and possibly an auxiliary officer, he said.

Working as chief in a small town like Smiths Grove - population 1,000 - isn’t a 9-to-5 job, Suoy said.

“There are times when I’m at home and not working when I’ll get a call about a disturbance,” he said. “You’re never really off duty.”

This is an area where police get to know the community and people will call the chief at home because they know he’s reliable, Suoy said.

Suoy’s previous law enforcement experience includes a year with the Western police department and some time as an auxiliary officer for Smiths Grove.

Both before and after working at WKU, Suoy said he spent some time as a social worker.

“When I was working at Western, I was also working with my parents, helping them to start a new business,” Suoy said. “I left to help my parents full-time.”

But when the chance to become the chief in Smiths Grove came along, Suoy said it was an offer he could not turn down. Law enforcement was something he missed.

“Since I’ve taken the job, the community support has been very strong,” Suoy said. “If the community here did not support the police department, it would be ineffective.”

Smiths Grove is the type of town where many disputes can be settled just by talking to the people involved, he said. One of his missions as chief is to work with the community’s young people.

“I like that here I can make a difference,” Suoy said.

“Chief Vance did a great job here and I’m just trying to follow what he did and add a few new programs,” Suoy said.

Suoy said his parents were surprised when he decided to take the chief’s job.

“When I was young, the last thing I thought about was law enforcement. I thought I was going to go out into the big world and make tons of money,” he said. “But I firmly believe that God does things for a reason. I’m following my heart and I’m where I feel that I belong.”