Longtime police captain retires

Steve Rose is taking over Sandy Springs’ volunteer unit.

After decades in law enforcement, one of the most recognizable faces in the Sandy Springs Police

Department is calling it quits. Captain Steve Rose is retired, effective Wednesday.

But Rose, 65, won’t be stepping completely away from police work. Soon, he’ll take over the volun- teer unit within the Sandy Springs Police Department in a part-time, civilian-sta- tus capacity.

Rose used a bit of humor in his farewell statement, something featured every week in his “Weekly Wrap-Up” where he describes and comments on recent crimes in Sandy Springs.

“Please know that this retirement, although a bit sudden in its announce- ment, did not occur due to an indictment, sexual harass- ment complaint, or unpaid parking tickets,” Rose said. “It tunity.” Rose was said simply he was an planning opporto the retire opportunity next November, to take over but the volunteer unit came up when Jeff Holmes resigned.

Before joining the Sandy Springs Police Department, Rose spent 26 years with the Fulton County Police Department, but began working in the Sandy Springs area before it was established as a city. Rose began establishing community relationships in Sandy Springs in 1984 as the crime prevention officer for the Fulton County Police Department. In 2001, he started the neighborhood watch program in the city. In 2006, when Sandy Springs became a city, Rose joined the police department and served on the start-up committee, helping select the department’s original 86 officers.

“Captain Steve Rose has been instrumental in the success of our police department and an asset to our police-citizen partnerships,” Sgt. Sam Worsham wrote in an email. “The department is grateful that Captain Rose will continue to work with our community as the volunteer coordinator after his retirement.”

Sgt. Andrew Spears has been promoted to the rank of captain to replace Rose.

Captain Steve Rose helped start the Sandy Springs police.