Police Officer

Steve Schoephoerster’s father thought his job as a bus operator was the best he’d ever had. So, when Schoephoerster turned 21 years old and was able to apply, he did. The decision led to a nearly 39-year career that included time as an operator, dispatcher, transit supervisor and police officer, and to a third-generation of transit workers.

Schoephoerster began his career at what was then known as the Shingle Creek Garage. He spent nearly a decade working there and at Heywood Garage as an operator and part-time dispatcher before moving into the Transit Control Center as an overnight supervisor.

Schoephoerster had been interested in becoming a police officer from a young age and had tried once before to enter what at the time was a highly competitive field. With encouragement from officers he interacted with as a police dispatcher, Schoephoerster re-tested and in February 2004 fulfilled his dream of becoming a police officer.

As a patrol officer, Schoephoerster worked nights and regularly rode the newly opened METRO Blue Line. In 2008, he joined the department’s K-9 Unit and spent eight years working alongside his partner Cooper, a black lab. After Cooper passed away in 2016, Schoephoerster joined the team that rode the Northstar Commuter Rail and patrolled the northern suburbs. “You really got to know the customers, the conductors, and everyone who worked on Northstar, which made that a very enjoyable experience,” he said. 

One of Schoephoerster’s most memorable moments came in 2022, when he pinned a Metro Transit police badge on his son, Kevin. Together, they became the department’s first full-time father-son officers. Schoephoerster’s other son, Taylor, joined Metro Transit in 2014 and was serving as a mechanic technician at the time of his father’s retirement.

After retiring in early-2023, Schoephoerster said he planned to spend more time golfing, traveling and with his family. His family connections and other friendships, Schoephoerster said, would keep him engaged even in retirement. “You just don’t forget the people you work with,” he said.