“Meet a Mountain Lion” is a series of stories introducing members of the UCCS community to campus. Meet Steve Paulluke, a Police Officer at UCCS.
1. Tell us about your background, and what brought you to UCCS.
I have been a police officer since 1999 in both a large city and a medium sized city, and at another university. I missed university policing, so when the opportunity to work with the UCCS Police Department became available, I jumped at the chance! And I’m glad I did, because I love it here and I will retire from here.
2. What do you do at UCCS?
I am a Police Officer assigned to the Patrol Division. I am also a member of the Bicycle Team.
3. What do you love about UCCS?
I love the views and the amount of wildlife that we have around campus. I have seen mountain lions, coyotes, mule deer, white-tailed deer, badgers, a porcupine, a black bear, a bull elk and several cow elk, hawks, owls, a peregrine falcon and a wolf.
4. What are you working on right now?
I am always striving to make the campus as safe as possible and to deter criminals from even coming onto our campus. I strive to make our campus the safest in Colorado and in the world. I also really enjoy doing foot patrols and speaking with the students; that’s what I missed most about being a university police officer, and I’m very thankful to be doing what I love once again.
5. What energizes you at your job?
Having students, faculty and staff wave to me and/or say hello when I’m out on patrol.
6. What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of?
I believe I’m a positive role model for students and I enjoy impacting their lives in a positive way, which a lot of officers don’t get the opportunity to do working for a city, county or other more traditional law enforcement agency. I am proud of helping catch a homicide suspect who came onto our campus. We caught him, so he could be punished for his crime, and we could make the campus that much safer.
7. What’s a goal you have for the future?
I want to retire from the UCCS Police Department, and I would like to have the opportunity to be promoted to either a corporal or a sergeant before I do.
8. What do you do with your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my kids and my dog Abbey, hiking, walking, reading, watching hockey, baseball and football, and watching my favorite show, “Game of Thrones.”
9. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
I have been told many times that I am the nicest police officer anyone has ever met and that I am also a great police officer, which is very humbling.
Do you know a Mountain Lion that UCCS should meet? We want to hear all about them! Invite them to share their story, and we’ll tell it to the UCCS community.