A Westbrook police officer has traded in his motorcycle and badge for a classroom at Westbrook Regional Vocational Center after a life-changing accident.
Officer Dave Roubo retired this summer after serving as a Westbrook police officer for 18 years. But instead of kicking back, Roubo went back to work, joining the staff of the vocational center to teach the school’s new public safety program.
While teaching was something Roubo, a former instructor at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and former Westbrook school resource officer, always was interested in, it took a life-changing incident a year ago to get him to make the move.
On Oct. 25 last year, Roubo was involved in a serious motorcycle crash that left him with a broken leg, and time to think about his future. “It made me realize what was important to me,” said Roubo.
The accident gave Roubo a chance to think about what his priorities were in life, and he came to the realization he wanted to be a teacher. Ever since he began working in the schools, Roubo said he had been thinking about a career in teaching. After the accident, he realized it was time to make that happen.
After three months off, Roubo returned to finish out the school year as resource officer, and then in August he left the force and began his second career as a teacher.
Roubo’s class concentrates on the three major areas of public safety. “It addresses the need to help students who are interested in pursuing a career in emergency medicine, fire science and police science,” he said.
The course is designed as a multi-year course for students. The first year provides an overview of all three areas, and the second year students do more advanced work. “The first year is almost strictly an introduction course,” Roubo said. “I give them a taste out of each pie. They just have an opportunity to experience a little bit of everything.”
Roubo believes the public safety program is a unique one in Maine. “I’m told we are one of the first in the state,” he said. “There are a number of law enforcement programs, and there are a few fire programs, but we are one of the first public safety programs.”
In their second year, students would be doing some work alongside the police, fire and emergency medical departments in the city. They will not be fighting fires or doing police work, but Roubo said the idea is to give the kids the chance to get a first-hand look at the reality of what happens in the field.
Another part of that experience is dressing like police officers. While they are in Roubo’s classroom, the students wear uniforms. Because many of the kids in the class aspire to become police officers or firefighters after they leave school, Roubo said he wants the kids to wear uniforms now so they can get used to them.
Spending time in Roubo’s classroom, it’s easy to see the enthusiasm the kids have for the class, even if some of them grumble good-naturedly about having to wear uniforms to the rest of their classes because they don’t have any time to change before the bell.
Because the program is so new, some students admitted they didn’t know what to expect from the class, but they have been pleasantly surprised. “I didn’t know what I was in for when I signed up for the class,” senior Trixie Leo of Westbrook said. “But I really like it.”
Senior Morgan Carlson of Gorham said she has been getting a lot from the class. “I think it’s amazing,” she said. “It’s a really good opportunity for kids that want to go into public safety to learn about it before they go into the real world.”
Sophomore Darrell Adams of Westbrook was one of the students who were teasing Roubo about the uniforms, but he said he thought the class was “awesome.”
Leo said she doesn’t even have a problem with the uniform. “I think it’s cool that we get to wear them,” she said.
Westbrook Police Detective Sgt. Stephen Lyons, who worked with Roubo for 14 years, said he thought Roubo’s program serves to benefit both the students and the city. “I think it’s good for the community, and I think it’s good for law enforcement,” said Lyons. “I can’t think of anyone better to run that program than Dave Roubo.”
The program is run on the same idea as a police academy, minus the screaming drill instructors. “This is not going to be a high stress program,” Roubo said. “There will be rotating positions for the students so they can understand and learn leadership-type things.”
That was evident as Roubo led his students through some simple drills one chilly morning this week. The uniformed students line up in formation as that week’s class leader takes attendance and reports back to Roubo with a salute.
Then, Roubo has the students practice some simple moves and has them march up and down the parking lot a few times to get them used to staying in formation. While he is leading the drill, Roubo speaks in the cadence of a drill instructor, but in a quiet, measured tone. When the students have problems with the drills, Roubo takes a moment to patiently correct them, never raising his voice. The students respond well to Roubo’s instruction, and in no time they are marching in formation with very few problems.
Senior Jon Bouffard of Westbrook said he “loves” the course, and he appreciates the real world experience he is getting from Roubo. “I like how we’re learning how to do fire, police and emergency medical services stuff,” he said. “He knows his stuff, and he’s an excellent guy to work with.”
Two months into his new career, Roubo said leaving the police force and moving into the classroom is a move that he said he has never regretted. “I’m loving it,” he said.
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