Behind the Badge
The Cypress Police Department has tapped one of their own to serve as the department’s newest watch commander.
Scott Ausmus, 32, was recently promoted to sergeant after serving nine years with the department.
Ausmus, who comes from a family of law enforcement officers, said he became a cop for a chance to defend the defenseless.
“I’ve never liked people who try to take other’s dignity away, or prey on the vulnerable,” he said. “I just look at a criminal as a grown-up, sophisticated version of a bully.”
Ausmus will now apply his protector instincts to the officers he oversees.
“I want to be successful, respected and have all my officers go home at night,” he said.
Ausmus said he’ll do that with regular training to keep officers’ skills sharp, adding he also wants to be a strong source of support for his team.
“I want to get (officers) operating to their full potential,” he said. “I’m extremely excited to be where I’m at, and I’m excited for the opportunity to do this.”
Ausmus joined the department in August 2004 as a trainee.
He was hired on as an officer after graduating from the Golden West College Criminal Justice Training Center in February 2005.
Ausmus has worked as a member of the Directed Enforcement Team and as a detective handling property crimes.
In 2012, he was named Officer of the Year.
“Cypress has a family atmosphere,” he said. “It’s a smaller agency so I have been fortunate enough to have been exposed to a number of assignments at a very quick pace.”
Ausmus also is a field training officer, a seven-year member of West Count SWAT and an instructor at the Golden West Academy.
He is regarded as an officer committed to the Cypress community having served on Honor Guard detail. He also volunteered for National Night Out and the Special Olympics Torch Run.
“Sgt. Scott Ausmus is a committed and valued member of the Cypress Police Department, and is certainly deserving of this promotion to police sergeant,” said Chief Jackie Gomez-Whiteley.
Ausmus has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Chapman University, where he graduated cum laude. He also holds basic, intermediate and advanced certificates from Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).
