Mark Walblay is the school’s resource officer. In the building throughout the week, he works to ensure a safe environment for the students.

“I’ve been an officer for sixteen and a half years and this is my third year at Cox high school, so 2 and a half years as a resource officer,” Walblay said.

His first six years were spent on the street. He then returned to the training academy, where he taught brand new recruits and later provided instruction on tactics and defensive driving. After his stint at the academy, is passion for public safety eventually led him to the school to continue his service as a school resource officer.

“Best part’s always helping somebody, catching a bad guy,” Walblay said. “Some of the worst parts are death notifications, meeting people at their worst times and in times of crisis, or not being able to help somebody when they need it just because the circumstances are out of your control.”

Walblay believes that first-hand experience is the best way for the often critical public to better understand the police.

“If you look at cops across the country, the number of ones that go out and do stupid things that they shouldn’t is less than .05%,” Walblay said. “If we do one thing wrong then it’s on national news but, they don’t show the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of things that we do every day.”

Because of this, he encourages such experiences as ride alongs, which allow citizens to “step into their shoes” for a day.

His advice for teenagers experiencing legal trouble is pretty straightforward, as once a criminal record is established, it is pretty hard to get rid of.

“If you do something stupid and get in trouble let it be that one time, let it be a learning experience and then get better from there,” Walblay said.

For those considering joining the force, Walblay strongly suggests getting involved in some of the various volunteering or internship opportunities that the department offers.

“We have summer programs like the marine patrol unit and some volunteering at the oceanfront and stuff like that just to get familiar with listening to the radio, being around cops, seeing what we do,” Walblay said. “Do ride alongs, look for internships, and obviously stay out of trouble.”

Officer Walblay encourages students to visit him in his office if they have any questions or concerns. He is here every week from Monday to Friday, and is readily available to students.