A Man For All Seasons
James Payne wears many uniforms with passion and love for the people he serves
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By Keith Edmonds
Of Fort Wayne Ink Spot
Whether being an officer or an official, James Payne makes a difference for youth in our city.
An acknowledged introvert, Payne is a man that understands how important it is to build trust with young people—especially during these turbulent times—and will “go the extra mile if it will help a young person grow and mature into a viable citizen in our community. He’s maintained his love of sports that began as a child in Murray, Kentucky, by becoming an official for high school and college basketball, football, and an umpire for baseball here in Indiana.
“I cherish each moment that God has given me here on earth to meet and work with new people,” he said. “Fort Wayne has been so good to me.”
When not on the beat or officiating a game, Payne says he loves to be with his two children and two grandchildren, ages six and four months. I had the pleasure of spending some time with him this past week and allowed him to share his thoughts.
Q: What brought you to Fort Wayne from Kentucky?
A: I was brought here in July of 1997 by City Councilman Archie Lundsey, who at the time was putting together a semi-professional football team called the River City Rhinos. He was a fraternity brother of mine. I’d heard of Indianapolis, Bloomington, and even Terre Haute but never of Fort Wayne. I ended up playing for the Rhinos. A teammate asked me if I had a degree (and I did) and introduced me to several people who worked to find employment for me with one of them being Jonathan Ray. He got me an interview with Child Protective Services; I worked for CPS during the week and played for the Rhinos on the weekend. That’s when I really began thinking that Fort Wayne could be something permanent for me. Reverend (Ternae) Jordan at Progressive Baptist Church was also a key component to my exposure to so many people and raising my comfort level here in Fort Wayne as well.
Q: You enjoy what you do, and have the very unique position of wearing several “different” hats that allow you to impact young people. Walk us through what it is that you do on a daily basis.
A: I’m an SRO (Student Resource Officer) for Fort Wayne Community Schools and a police officer here in Fort Wayne, as well as working in athletics as a referee (basketball), official (football) and umpire (baseball) so this keeps me pretty busy.
Q: So how did the fact that you’re an SRO here in Fort Wayne help with the social unrest protests that occurred last summer?
A: That was a quite different experience for me. I had to get to our staging area and the crowd wouldn’t let me pass. So, I let my window down and a former North Side High School student recognized me and motioned to the crowd that it was me and to allow me in my garage. They cleared a path and then said “you be safe.” That touched my heart. Had I not developed a positive relationship with that young man while he was in school who knows what would have happened?
Q: Let’s pivot: Why would you want to become an official in sports? Isn’t being a police officer stressful enough?
A: (Both laugh) I had a coach tell me that there will come a time when you won’t be able to play this game anymore, but you can still be a part of it by becoming a referee. I was approached by a great guy Jud Raver, who was a long-time official. I prayed about it and got peace in my thoughts and decided to get fully licensed in three sports.
Q: So how have all of these hats that you wear helped you to become successful at what you do?
A: Basically, it’s all about communication, being honest, and being loving. In all of the roles that I have, there are rules that have to be followed and guidelines enforced. I try to stick to the Golden Rule which is to “treat others in the way that you’d like to be treated.”
Q: Okay I’m going to put you on the spot. If you had three telephones ringing in front of you, one for each sport, which one would you pick first?
A: That’s easy, I’m picking up the football phone first! I played the game and ain’t nothing like the pigskin! I’ve had some special people influence me in the game of football, and in all honesty, football opened doors for all of the other things to happen for me in my life here in Indiana so that’s my foundation.
