Oregon State Police’s Zerzan leaves OSU

BY MICHAEL BOOTH


GAZETTE-TIMES REPORTER

It’s been said that people won’t tease you unless they care about you. If that’s true, plenty of people like Phil Zerzan.

Lt. Zerzan, 50, has been with the Oregon State Police for 30 years. He officially is retired, as of today.

At Oregon State University on Thursday, well-wishers from the university, the Corvallis community and many public safety agencies recognized his decades of service during a party that was part roast, part recognition and all sincere regard — even if it included some serious ribbing.

His boss told him he was wearing the same suit he bought in the early 1990s, when his department was granted a clothing allowance.

An FBI agent reminded Zerzan of the time he asked her to dress provocatively during a sting operation to catch pornographers. She got even when she presented him with a framed, full-length poster from the movie “Miss Congeniality,” about a female FBI agent who poses as a contestant at a beauty pageant. The poster had Zerzan’s head plastered over that of the movie’s curvy star, actress Sandra Bullock.

Zerzan came to the OSU campus six years ago as a sergeant, and he was promoted to lieutenant a year later. He even took classes at OSU after work, and he completed his bachelor’s degree last year.

Zerzan said that working on the campus and building lasting relationships were among the highlights of his career. Focusing on helping people kept him going through the years:

“No matter what you’ve seen in people, both good and bad, you can never lose sight of your humanity.”

His retirement has stirred mixed emotions, Zerzan said.

“I was part of something for 30 years that was important to me and important to Oregon ... There’s some sadness, but I’m leaving the department in good hands.”

Sgt. Jeff Lanz, a trooper at the OSU detachment, will be promoted to lieutenant to succeed Zerzan as commander.

Zerzan’s immediate plans include spending time with his wife Laurie, two sons Zach, 24, and Alex, 21, and his 18-year-old daughter, Katie — and installing a new floor at his house in Eugene.