BY GARNET DEAKINS
garnet@newsroom.byu.edu
After 38 years of faithful service on the BYU police force, police chief Robert Kelshaw will be honored in an open house today from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Alumni House.
Kelshaw announced his retirement in December and will be replaced by Larry Stott, a former Salt Lake police chief officer.
Kelshaw said he will remain at BYU as long as necessary to help ease the transition to the new chief.
'I don't want us to lose the momentum we've made over the past 38 years. I want to leave with the intent that the department will continue to excel,' Kelshaw said.
Kelshaw came to BYU in 1961 as a first-year student officer. He was offered a full time position in 1962, and in 1974 he was appointed chief of university police.
In that time, Kelshaw has had the opportunity to visit and apply for positions at other institutions, but he said no other university could measure up to his experience at BYU.
'As I went around and visited other institutions, I could not find another place that could compare in any way to what we have here. The cleanliness of the buildings, well-groomed landscape, the family-togetherness atmosphere of the students, staff and faculty is outstanding,' Kelshaw said.
Through the years, Kelshaw has established a well-respected police department and influenced the lives of many people at BYU and the surrounding community.
'In my personal perspective few individuals, if any, have given more dedicated, loyal and effective service to BYU over such a long period of time as has Robert Kelshaw,' said Alton Wade, BYU Student Life Vice-President.
Wade said interacting personally and professionally with Kelshaw has been one of the highlights of his time at BYU.
Kelshaw's leadership has helped to establish an outstanding reputation for the Police Department at BYU, Wade said.
'His tenure as chief has been marked with professionalism and the BYU Police Department is regarded as one of the finest university security organizations in the country,' Wade said.
BYU offers a very unique challenge for a police department. They must carefully balance the expectations of the university with the mission of the church, and still provide a legitimate law enforcement agency.
Orem Police Chief Mike Larsen said Kelshaw has lead his staff through law enforcement situations well and still managed to maintain support from the administration and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
'He took a security force and turned the organization into a respected police department. BYU is very well respected. They are very well trained and very qualified. A big part of that is a result of Bob Kelshaw's efforts,' Larsen said.
The efforts Kelshaw has made to balance all of these elements will leave a legacy of a first class law enforcement agency, said Steve Baker, BYU director of the honor code office.
Baker said that he will always remember Kelshaw's desire to serve the BYU community better.
'He has always stressed service. He would say, let's do more than what we are asked to do and more than what we are doing to take care of the individuals,' Baker said.
Kelshaw has always been very concerned for the welfare of students. His care for the students has been evident through his focus on training and increased security on campus, especially at night,' said Wes Sherwood, BYU director of Risk Management and Safety.
Sherwood has worked with Kelshaw for a total of 25 years, during which he served as the chief's assistant for 15 years.
'I think he cares about people. He really does. He has always tried to do what he thinks is best. He was very careful to look at each situation and consider all the concerns. He tries very diligently to do the right thing,' Sherwood said.
'One of the things that seems to stand out is that he is a person who does his job very quietly, but also very effectively without a lot of fanfare or kudos. The main reason he has been so effective is that first and foremost, he has the students' interests at heart,' said Ed Cozzens, assistant administrative vice-president over BYU physical facilities.
The chief's wife, Sue Kelshaw, said he has taken his job very seriously and also very personally.
'He seems to look at and treat each student as if they were his own kids. He's kind of quiet about it, but he has the ability to handle difficult situations and is very good with people,' Sue Kelshaw said.
His wife said he has enjoyed his career, but now they are looking forward to their retirement together.
'We have a seven-acre ranch in American Fork, and there's never enough time to enjoy it. He loves to be out on the tractor and training the horses and llamas. We just look forward to having the free time to enjoy the rest of our lives,' Sue Kelshaw said.