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YPD officer retires after 33 years
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Ken Ruse followed his father onto the Youngstown Police Department, and Friday marked his last day after 33 years on the job.
Ruse, a patrolman, said it is time to retire as he was feted by his colleagues with a going-away party in the department’s roll-call room.
He said it won’t really hit him until Sunday, because he will not have to go to bed early to get up early the next day. Sunday will be the 33rd anniversary of his first day on the job on Oct. 5, 1981.
His father, Don Ruse, was a city patrolman for almost 30 years and retired shortly before his son started. Ruse said seeing his dad go to work every day heavily influenced him to become a policeman.
“I couldn’t work inside,” Ruse said, “I had to work outside.”
Ruse patrolled every beat in the city and also worked narcotics for eight years. He finished his career by patrolling a day-turn beat on the East Side. He said there is not one call that stands out in particular, but he did say the biggest changes are in technology and the people he has dealt with.
Ruse said when he started, everything was on paper but that is not the case anymore. He also said that over the years, people have grown a lot more disrespectful toward police — especially younger people.
“The younger ones, they don’t care what happens or what they do,” Ruse said.
Patrolman Dave Wilson patrols a South Side beat and said Ruse was his training officer when he started. Wilson said he learned a lot from Ruse.
“I learned how to be a community police officer from him,” Wilson said.
Patrolman Robert Martini also works the East Side and said it was good working with Ruse.
“He’s a wonderful police officer and a wonderful friend,” Martini said.
Anthony Tulipano, who patrols a West Side beat, said Ruse will be missed.
“He’s as good a person as he is a policeman,” Tulipano said. “He’s a real asset for the city. They’re going to miss him.”
Ruse’s wife, Debbie, said her husband has worked hard and deserves to relax. The two have been married for 27 years and have three children, one of whom works for the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and another who is a criminal-justice major at Youngstown State University.
Part of her also is relieved her husband is retiring, she said. “It’s going to be nice not having to worry about his safety anymore,” she said.
Ruse said one of the most-important things a policeman must learn is how to deal with people. He said he always tried to understand someone’s point of view whenever he was on a call and also tried to remember that he was there for the citizen who called.
He also said it is important to keep a clear head from call to call and not let things linger.
“You can’t carry that last call to the next call,” Ruse said.