Service and protection comes naturally to RRU Security
You might see them waving from behind the windshield of a golf cart on Castle Road, chatting at their office on the ground floor of the Millward Building, or hiking up to the Sequoia Building to unlock the doors before your 8 a.m. class — employed by Commissionaires, Royal Roads University Campus Security is a reliable presence at the university.
Campus Security covers everything from perimeter patrols to first aid, keeping a watchful eye on the castle and grounds and preventing issues, to raising and lowering of the flag and holding the keys to every building on campus.
For Supervisor of Campus Security Rob Cox, managing security at RRU is a refreshing change of pace from his former career.
Rob Cox: From soaring through the sky to quiet nights in
Rob Cox has managed Campus Security at RRU since 2017. His prior experience includes 25 years of military service as a fighter jet pilot and Sea King helicopter pilot.
Cox earned his wings as an Air Force jet pilot at age 19 and he was immediately hooked.
"I was always on the cutting edge of whatever was happening — playing with the best toys," he says.
Cox also flew CF-18 Hornets and he’ll be the first to tell you that the Hornet is a fast, light and maneuverable aircraft that can reach speeds of up to 1,800 km/h.
He worked at Canadian Forces bases all over Canada and Europe, where he spent much of his time in training.
He served in multiple conflicts, piloting both jets and helicopters, including combat missions during the Gulf War; humanitarian missions and jungle insertions during the East Timor conflict; surface surveillance for arms smuggling in Iraq and reconnaissance on conflicts in Yugoslavia.
After 25 years, Cox was ready to hang up his flight helmet to spend more time with his family.
“After a while, especially when you're raising a family, I'd rather be home every night than be deployed around the world constantly,” he says. “At first, you miss the action, but it's nice to be home every night and just look at it on the news.”
While his position at Royal Roads is slightly less exhilarating than flying high-speed jets, Cox says he enjoys the work for other reasons.
“We’re really about linking up with people, whether it's staff, faculty, students or tourists and it's a lot of fun. If you like people, it’s a great job,” says Cox.
Shawn Taylor: Choosing the sea over the stage
Before he started his position as shift supervisor for RRU campus security, Shawn Taylor was no ordinary sailor. He finished the last 19 years of his naval career as Chief Petty Officer 1st class (CPO1) — the most senior non-commissioned rank of the Royal Canadian Navy.
“As base Chief, I was responsible for the morale, welfare, training and fair employment for about 580 to 600 military personnel and another 1,100 civilians,” says Taylor.
Hailing from a military family — his mother, father and all four of his brothers served in some capacity — Taylor was intent on choosing a different career path.
His plan was to train as a stage actor at York University; that is, until the summer before grade 11, when he got hired as a Rocky Mountain Ranger in the reserve army. He had a knack for the work, and he enjoyed it, ending the summer as the top student in his youth employment program.
“My leadership ability took me beyond the trend of the technical side of the training,” he says. “I was looking after people.”
Taylor’s caring and supportive attitude also led him to a role as Coxswain on the destroyer HMCS Algonquin, an area air defence warship. As Coxswain, he was the senior non-commissioned member on the ship.
“[I was the] sheriff, priest, social worker, human resources, chief investigator of police and the confidante of 285 people on any given moment,” he says.
After 39 years, Taylor was ready to shed some of his responsibilities. Now, the Royal Roads campus is not only his workplace, but also how he stays grounded.
“I love the campus,” he says. “It’s just beautiful. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better place. And the people that I work with in security are really good people.”
Russell Howard: from tough assignments to finding his happy place
Russell Howard wasn’t expecting to start a job with Campus Security at Royal Roads. He was taking a well-deserved rest when he was recruited by Rob Cox.
“It’s a funny story,” says Howard. “I was on the campus and I lost my cell phone. It was turned in to Rob; he did his detective work and tracked me down.”
They bonded over their shared air force background — they had both served at CFB Cold Lake in Alberta — and when Cox learned about Howard’s extensive RCMP background, he offered him a job.
Howard started out as a crash rescue firefighter for the Royal Canadian Air Force, but after 12 years transitioned into the RCMP where he spent most of his 25-year career working in RCMP Major Crimes units across BC.
Major Crimes officers manage and investigate serious assault cases, homicides, suspicious deaths, armed robberies and missing person cases where foul play is suspected. The job sounds like what’s represented in an episode of CSI, but Howard cautions against believing everything you see on TV.
“You look at policing on TV and it looks like a really exciting job,” says Howard. “In reality, a good percentage of your job is standing behind the computer writing reports. Every half hour of work you do in the field; you could be spending two or three hours writing up legal documents.”
His RCMP work took him all over the province: from the General Investigation Section in Richmond; to a limited post in the smaller Kootenay village of Nakusp; Investigations in Penticton; to a Corporal promotion traveling all over the Southeast corner of the province; Commander on the Sunshine Coast; and finally, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the General Investigation Section in Nanaimo.
In 2014, Howard retired from the force with no regrets.
When asked what he likes about working at Royal Roads, he says: “I like the people. I like the grounds, I like the students, the staff. It’s just a good place to work. It’s a happy place.”
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