Police Chief Dan Jones considers the position of SRO to be the hardest one in the Police Department with “very different expectations from all those a SRO serves: the schools, parents, students, and the Police Department,” said Jones. “It’s quite difficult to meet all expectations and to keep everyone happy.”

The Town has budgeted for a third SRO for the elementary schools. Coffin now has responsibility for the middle and elementary schools but there has not been enough time for him to build meaningful relationships with students and staff at all four schools. If the new position is approved, Coffin will work exclusively at the middle school and the new SRO will work at the three elementary schools. The school department pays two thirds of the cost of an SRO.

“Dubay is so well-suited to be a mentor, teacher, and, of course, a police officer but is also someone who has a sliding scale of what kids need,” said Jones.

Gorham High School principal Brian Jandreau regards the role of an SRO as multi-faceted. While part of a SRO’s job is to protect the school’s students and staff, “most of the time the SRO is working with students who are having a tough time in life,” said Jandreau. “The SRO helps guide students to make good decisions, the same way a counselor or administrator does.”

Jandreau expressed admiration at Officer Dubay’s desire to serve the community, specifically students and staff. “Growing up in Gorham and graduating from GHS (’81), he has deep ties to this community and knows so many people, just as Pooch did,” said Jandreau.

Officer Dubay officially began work at GHS at the end of April. The following is a short Q&A with him focusing mainly on his work as an SRO.

What was your work experience prior to working at GHS?

I was assigned to road patrol at Gorham PD since 2010. Prior to that, I had served in the Air Force for 29 plus years.

What does an average day as an SRO at GHS look like?

The average day of an SRO is anything but average. We may see a wide variety of challenges from day-to-day ranging from mentoring students, assisting staff, guest speaking during classes, attending meetings, and on rare occasions, processing juvenile crimes.

Could you discuss some unique challenges that you face as an SRO?

One of the most unique challenges SROs face today is navigating social media and the impact it brings to school-related issues. Often, we see disputes that originate away from school hours but carry over into the halls and classrooms of our schools. With so many social media applications on the market it can be a challenge to keep up with the wide variety of terms, uses, and lingo associated with them. Another challenge is knowing when to “change hats” from law enforcement officer to mentor to counselor and sometimes to just a friend. Every student has his/ her own unique personality requiring unique approaches from a position of cop, counselor, or coach. The challenges we face help us grow personally and professionally giving students a better resource to rely on.

What do you find most fulfilling about being an SRO at GHS?

I find the friendly relationships and universal acceptance among the staff, teachers, and students to be the most fulfilling of all experiences here.

What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?

I enjoy skiing, hiking, motorcycling, and boating in my off-duty time.