New Shelby Police Officer

Mark Boris was sworn in Tuesday as Shelby PD's latest officer.

From left: Police Chief Tandy Carter, Pastor Gary Marburgur, Boris, wife Maggie, and city clerk Bernadette Parduski. In front is Mark Jr., 7, and, hidden, Brandon, 6.

Tell me a little about your background, where you grew up, education, family, etc.

I was born in Paterson, NJ. I moved to Florida when I was 2 and spent most of my life there. My wife Maggie and I moved here to Shelby with our two children, Mark and Brandon, about four and a half years ago.

What inspired you to enter into law enforcement, and specifically to join the Shelby Police Department?

My father and brother are both police officers in Florida. They work for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Police work is something that I have always wanted to do, but there was always something keeping me from doing it. In January 2006, I sat down with my wife and we decided that it was time for me to change careers, so I called the (Cleveland Community) college, signed up for the BLET class and here I am today. I wanted to work for the Shelby Police Department because I am a resident here and want to do what I can to make this city a safe place to live.

What do you see as the major crime problems affecting Shelby today?

The part that worries me is the gangs coming here and trying to recruit more kids into their world. The graffiti that has been appearing lately on the west side (of Shelby) sickens me.

How do you plan to do your part to make Shelby a safer place to live?

Training, training, training. We as the police have to constantly stay one step ahead of the bad guys. We do this by training and learning. The more I learn the better I will be at my job. The most important way to make Shelby a safer place is getting the community more involved in keeping an eye on their neighborhood.