Capt. Robert Roscoe leaves for South Carolina post
By:Purvi Desai
The Township Committee met in an executive session last week to begin the search for a replacement for retired Hillsborough Police Capt. Robert Roscoe.
Capt. Roscoe officially retired from the Hillsborough Police Department Feb. 1, after moving to South Carolina with his wife in January.
The Township Committee recognized Capt. Roscoe’s service during its regular meeting on Feb. 12, where Mayor Anthony Ferrera read a proclamation on Capt. Roscoe’s contributions, which included receiving the Command Citation from the police chief for saving an infant’s life.
"I always wanted to be in police work," Capt. Roscoe said. "I loved it. I had a wonderful career. I rose to the rank of captain and loved every minute of it."
When reached at his new office on the campus of the University of South Carolina, it didn’t take long for Capt. Roscoe to recall the most dramatic moment in his 25-year career.
He was patrolling when a couple dialed emergency services to report their 3-month-old infant had stopped breathing. Capt. Roscoe was in the area and quickly answered the call. Once there, he administered CPR and shortly thereafter, the infant started breathing again.
That moment reinforced his life-long desire to be in law enforcement a career Capt. Roscoe, 47, said that he loved every minute of.
Police Chief Paul Kaminsky said that on July 14, 1987, Capt. Roscoe was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the patrol division assuming the duties of shift commander. After that, he rose to the ranks of lieutenant, patrol division commander and captain. Chief Kaminsky said that during his service, Capt. Roscoe carried out the duties of second in command of the police department and oversaw Services Division responsibilities.
Chief Kaminsky said Capt. Roscoe was also assigned to oversee the detective bureau as investigative division commander and to be the operational secondin-command, as the chief operating officer of the department to oversee both the investigative and patrol divisions during his service.
Capt. Roscoe said there are many things he is fond of having achieved throughout his time at the police force.
"During Capt. Roscoe’s extinguished career he has taken on many additional responsibilities," Chief Kaminsky said. "Capt. Roscoe has always displayed exceptional leadership qualities. This was best exemplified when despite personal and professional obligations, he enrolled in Centenary College and obtained his bachelor’s and then his master’s degree. In this respect he led by example and has always encouraged others to continue their education for personal and professional development."
Chief Kaminsky said that over the past 25 years, Capt. Roscoe has received numerous letters of appreciation from citizens and commendations from the department. He has received a Medal of Merit for participating in the successful Adopt-a-Cop program with local fifth-grade students, and a Command Citation for the successful preparation and prosecution in a fatal motor vehicle accident case, Chief Kaminsky said.
In other things he is proud of, Capt. Roscoe said dealing with the several gifted employees in Hillsborough and attending the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy was an honor. He said he fondly remembers the many people he worked with in Hillsborough. "The police department, the co-workers, the administration and the politicians you can’t find a better bunch of people," he said. "They care about people and really care about what they do.
"I miss parts of it, but it was time for my wife and I to move on to warmer weather," Capt. Roscoe said, adding that he is now working at the University of South Carolina as an assistant director for the Institute for Families and Society.
The institute was launched to help strengthen families with education, research, and assistance to community, state, national and international government.
He said his duties there involved leading the administrative staff in assisting researchers at the institution and handling budgeting. Capt. Roscoe will also play an integral role in facilitating long-range strategic planning and supporting the achievement of development goals, according to a press release issued by USC.
Capt. Roscoe said he and his wife are currently building a house on a lake nearby, where they will be able to go fishing and participate in other activities. He said that he feels he would never be in the capacity that he was in at the police force to ever go back to it, but is still involved in parts of law enforcement. "I currently instruct for a company that teaches dispatchers," he said.
For now, though, Capt. Roscoe said he is happy to be in warmer temperatures. "I hate the cold and hated the snow," he said.