Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Luke Roth, 23, is one of two new officers with Sweet Home Police Department.
Roth grew up in a farming family and graduated from high school in Silverton. He earned a general transfer associate’s degree at Central Oregon Community College in Bend before attending Western Oregon University, where he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Criminal Justice in 2007.
“I was a reserve at Linn County (Sheriff’s Office),” he said. “I saw a position open up here.”
He thought it was a good opportunity in a great community, so he applied, Roth said.
He lives in Salem and is planning to move to Sweet Home after attending the Police Academy.
Roth has been interested in law enforcement since his freshman year in high school, he said. “I did practicum and internships even in high school with Oregon State Police.”
He is interested in just about every part of police work, he said. “I’m looking forward to kind of experiencing it all.”
While doing his practicum with Linn County Sheriff’s Office, he worked in all departments.
“I think I’d be happy in any of those.”
He enjoys regular patrol because he can get out and around the community, he said, but he’s looking forward to the opportunities small departments provide to get involved in different kinds of police work.
Roth is single with no children. He enjoys hunting and fishing, he said. The outdoors is something that attracted him to Sweet Home. He also enjoys snowboarding and snowmobiling.
So far, he said, he’s enjoying Sweet Home.
“I’m looking forward to moving here,” he said. “I’m just really looking forward to getting going on my own.”
Roth is training with a veteran officer through February, when he will attend 16 weeks of training at the Police Academy. He will return for additional field training, Police Chief Bob Burford said, and then start working on his own around July.