Royster’s Impact: Young Adult Inspired by Late DPS Sergeant Carries On His Legacy
By Amanda Moses
On June 24, 2024, the Spring Creek Towers (SCT) community suffered a devastating loss when Department of Public Safety (DPS) Sergeant Charles Royster passed away suddenly. Known for his playful demeanor, warm smile, and unwavering dedication to young people, Royster devoted his life to uplifting others and creating opportunities for those searching for guidance and direction.
Though his passing left a deep void within the community, Royster’s legacy continues through the lives he impacted, including Officer Ralph Cayemitte, a young man who credits Royster with helping him find purpose during one of the darkest periods of his life.
Brooklynite Ralph Cayemitte always dreamed of serving others through a career in public safety. As a child, he imagined joining the military, but life’s obstacles prevented that goal from becoming reality, leaving him struggling with depression and isolation
He described that chapter of his life as one consumed by darkness until a friend introduced him to the Young Adults Program at Spring Creek Towers.
“Jomar suggested we should go over and try the program,” Cayemitte said.
What began as a casual visit quickly became life changing.
Founded in 2022 by Royster and co-founder Eileen Level, the Young Adults Program utilized the Teen Central lounge inside the Brooklyn Sports Club to provide free recreational activities, mentorship, and educational opportunities for residents ages 18 to 25.
Royster immediately recognized potential in Cayemitte, a young father determined to create a better future for his family despite setbacks. He took Cayemitte under his wing, helping him pursue additional security certifications and guiding him toward a career in public safety. In May 2024, just one month before his sudden passing, Royster spoke with the Spring Creek Sun about Cayemitte’s journey and the importance of mentorship through the Young Adults Program.
“As it has and continues to be the mission of the DPS Young Adults Program to provide a safe and healthy environment for our members to grow, learn, plan, or simply just be, as they figure out the next step in the development of their life’s journey, we are happy to share one of our success stories,” Royster previously told the Spring Creek Sun. “Raphy Cayemitte is a young father of two who found out about us by word of mouth through friends and residents of SCT.”
Two years later, Cayemitte proudly became a member of the Spring Creek Towers Department of Public Safety. Now known as Officer Cayemitte, he credits the Young Adults Program and Royster’s mentorship with helping him discover hope and direction.
“When the opportunity finally arrived for Ralph to apply for a position to DPS, we all rooted for him and knew he would be the best choice for the job given his family-oriented demeanor,” Level said.
According to Royster, Cayemitte’s journey reflected exactly why the Young Adults Program was created.
“Ralph’s commitment to his new and growing family and his desire to provide for them caught my attention, and I saw an opportunity to help this young family grow and flourish,” Royster said. “We build bridges and make connections. We understand that sometimes all it takes is a chance meeting to change a life.”
That philosophy defined Royster’s life and work.
Royster joined the Department of Public Safety during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, a time when trust in policing and authority figures had reached historic lows. Yet he arrived with a singular mission: to bridge the divide between public safety officers and the youth of Spring Creek Towers.
Growing up in East New York, Royster understood firsthand what it felt like to need guidance without having access to support systems.
“I remember what it was like to need someplace safe to go,” Royster told the Spring Creek Sun in 2020. “I want to provide that for someone else because I didn’t always have that.”
He believed officers should not be viewed as adversaries, but as mentors and community members invested in helping young people succeed.
Not long after joining DPS, Royster partnered with Level, then an arts instructor with Spring Creek Teen Central, to launch what would become one of the community’s most impactful initiatives. Together, they realized that while programs existed for children and teens, young adults aging out of those spaces were left navigating adulthood alone.
The Young Adults Program became a lighthouse for individuals navigating uncertaitransisitons Through workshops, mentorship opportunities, field trips, and fellowships, the initiative grew from a handful of members into a thriving community serving at least 60 young adults.
Royster often described the program as the kind of place he wished heexisted during his own youth.
“Sometimes we need an off-ramp or a rest station where we can nourish ourselves and gather our thoughts and map out the next phase of our travel,” Royster once wrote to the Spring Creek Sun. “I’m hoping that the Young Adults Program can be one of those places.”
For Cayemitte, it became exactly that.
In May 2024, Cayemitte proudly stood beside Royster while discussing how mentorship transformed the trajectory of his life. Royster watched with visible pride as the young father reflected on his journey from depression to becoming a DPS officer himself.
Today, Cayemitte’s story remains one of the clearest reflections of Royster’s enduring impact, proof that his compassion, mentorship, and belief in others will continue shaping the Spring Creek Towers community for years to come.
Photos by Amanda Moses