Decatur hires officer
DECATUR — After a monthlong search for a new full-time officer, Decatur Police Chief Steven Grizzle hired Luke Rouhselang on March 8.
Rouhselang went on duty March 10 as a full-time police officer.
Back in January, Grizzle began crunching numbers to see if his department could hire a new full-time officer. Grizzle then presented his findings to Mayor Bob Tharp and Kim Wilkins, city clerk, who confirmed his budget numbers.
After presenting his findings to the City Council during the Feb. 8 meeting, the chief was given the go-ahead to start the search process. After a temporary hold, Grizzle was cleared to continue his search.
Rouhselang grew up in the Bentonville and Siloam Springs area. After graduating from high school, he served eight years in the Marine Corps.
While serving in the Marines, Rouhselang decided to attend college and enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
“They had a little police department on campus, and that is what sparked my interest in law enforcement,” Rouhselang said. “I was able to become a dispatcher, which allowed me the chance to get into law enforcement, one, and two, to become a police officer.”
When Rouhselang turned 21, he tried out to become an officer and eventually UCA hired him as a campus police officer. He worked for that department in Conway for a while before switching direction and going into business security for a while.
“While I was working on a security detail, I got deployed overseas for about a year,” he said
Rouhselang began to miss his family and wanted to return to Northwest Arkansas. After his deployment was over, he returned to his family, friends and the area. Once he got back, his interest in law enforcement was rekindled.
“I really enjoyed being a police officer. I wanted to gain more experience and see what it would be like becoming an officer in a city environment,” Rouhselang said. “I was able to be hired on at Centerton where I lived and worked for a while and now I am in Decatur. It has been an adventure. I worked through some good times and bad times, but I am really excited to start the next chapter of my life in Decatur.”