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Sgt. Gary Rouse is unique sheriff
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Sgt. Gary Rouse, who has been with the Ada County Sheriff’s Department for nearly 25 years, and the sheriff at the Campus Police for nearly five of those years, describes himself as “easy-going.”
His duties consist of all the regular law enforcement duties as well as the supervisory functions, such as evaluation of deputies, scheduling, and public relations with the university.
Rouse says, “The best thing about my position is interacting with a lot of different people.” Rouse works very closely with Bob Seibolt, director of Campus Safety, to discuss anything that may be going on around campus.
Seibolt says, “We’re joined at the hip.”
The main problems on campus generally involve traffic and theft. Rouse says, “Speeding and failure to yield to pedestrians are the two biggest traffic problems around campus.”
Theft is another problem, whether it’s bike theft, theft out of offices left open, or theft from vehicles. Another problem that seems to occur more around this time of year is the transients around campus. “The colder it gets, the more likely they are to come into the buildings.”
Rouse says, “It takes a certain type of personality to enjoy the work because it is very slow.”
Rouse, a Harley Davidson fan, possesses this necessary personality to deal with the campus environment. He says he has always been easy-going, even when he was a deputy.
“I don’t write a lot of tickets,” he says. As far as he’s concerned, that is primarily the job of the deputies.
However, if he sees people breaking the law, even if it is simply failing to stop at a stop sign, he will stop them. “It depends on the time of day,” he says.
“If it’s 3 a.m, and I’m working a graveyard shift, and I see someone run a stop sign, I’ll still pull them over, but usually don’t write them a ticket.” Instead, he gives them a choice. Either they can turn around and try again, stopping this time, or he can write them a ticket. “Usually they want to try again,” he says chuckling.
Rouse likes his position so much at the Campus Police that he plans on staying until he retires, which is another few years.
Tammy Sands