Sandy Springs Police Capt. Steve Rose, known throughout the city for his “Weekly Wrap-Up” crime reports, retired May 23 after 42 years of policing.
He was honored with a “Steve Rose Day” proclamation by Mayor Rusty Paul and the City Council on June 5.
Rose, whose “Wrap-Up” appears in the Reporter as the crime blotter, said he will stick around at SSPD in a civilian role, running the Citizens on Patrol and volunteer units. And he believes the department will allow him to keep writing the “Wrap-Up,” which reports certain crimes in the city with Rose’s often sarcastic commentary. The “Wrap-Up” began around 2001 as emails that expanded into a weekly newsletter.
Rose retired with police service that is older than the city itself. He previously served on the Fulton County Police force before the city’s incorporation and creation of its own department in 2006. He most recently served as night commander at SSPD’s South District.
The city proclamation, read aloud by Paul, thanked Rose for his service, including helping to found the city’s police force in 2005 and its first Neighborhood Watch programs, and praised him for using “the power of the pen, mixed with a dry, sarcastic humor to inform and entertain…”
Paul concluded by saying that “the leadership of the city, as well as its citizens, want to thank Steve Rose for his long-standing dedication and service to our community, helping ensure that we stay safe.”
While known for his humor, Rose took a serious approach to accepting the proclamation, downplaying himself and praising other officers. He said he accepted it on behalf of police everywhere and for his wife and fellow Officer Sandy Rose. He spoke at length about Sandy Rose’s longtime work investigating child sexual abuse cases and how they once came close to adopting a 14-year-old left orphaned by a murder-suicide.
“I tell you, there are very few people with that level of commitment,” Steve Rose said. “…My greatest compliment to my wife is, I wouldn’t want her coming after me.”