S
hane Palsgrove. Now that’s
a pretty cool name. Is he a
musician? No. Professional
athlete? Uh-uh. Protector of
Public Safety? Bingo.
Kentucky born, San Jose raised,
Shane Palsgrove is a Captain with the
Morgan Hill Police Department. Ask
around and you’ll find that his passion
for law enforcement, like his personal
character, is rock solid.
As a boy, Shane got hooked on
soccer at age four, made varsity as
a freshman in both high school and
college, and played competitively, at
Division 1 level, through college.
Soccer taught Shane a valuable
lesson: “Knowing you’re part of a team,
the way to win is by staying focused on
being effective together, working for the
greater good, not for personal gain.”
The Palsgrove family moved to San
Jose after Shane’s father Ted was hired
as a project manager at IBM. His mom,
Ann, shuttled Shane and his younger
brother Adam to soccer games up
and down the state. The brothers had
different personalities yet both ended
up in public safety careers.
“I was the shy son. A planner—
always knowing what I wanted and
setting goals to get there. Adam was
more outgoing and a free spirit.” Adam
is now a Captain with the Palo Alto
Fire Department.
Working for the
Greater Good
Written By Robin Shepherd
18
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
april/may 2019
Career Inspiration
As a teen, Shane set his sights on a law
enforcement career. His enthusiasm
was kindled by his father’s service as
a Lieutenant with the San Jose Police
Department’s Reserve Program.
“My dad allowed me to go on ride
alongs with his training officer. I saw
the camaraderie and mixture of hard
work and seriousness, yet there was a
sense of fun. It was captivating.”
gmhtoday.com
Meet Shane Palsgrove