Joseph Waid of Clay County Schools Police patrols Keystone Heights Elementary School
BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— Joseph Waid said the best part about his job as the school resource officer at Keystone Heights elementary School is it allows him to shape the future.
The 20-year Navy veteran describes himself as a military brat.
“My grandad was Army,” he said. Dad was Air Force, so we did a lot of traveling around the world when I was young.”
Waid said he intended to follow his father into the Air Force, but a Navy recruiter told him he could get going sooner with the sea force.
“I did 20 years there,” he said, “got involved with some military law enforcement while I was in which kind of led me on this path.”
After leaving the Navy, Waid stayed in law enforcement with stints at Florida’s departments of transportation and corrections, winding up with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office where he remained for eight years.
He said the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting motivated him to specialize in school security.
While the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office was expanding its school resource officer program, Chief Kenny Wagner was also establishing the Clay District Schools Police Department.
Waid, a Lake Region resident, said he saw an opportunity.
“When I saw Chief Wagner on the television talking about standing up this department, I thought what better opportunity to serve the community that my kids actually go to school in,” he said.
Waid started out at Coppergate Elementary and served at McRae and Wilkinson Elementary schools before settling in at Keystone. In addition, he served as sort of a roving officer with short terms at Oakleaf, Ridgeview, Middleburg and Orange Park High Schools.
He said when offered the job at Keystone Elementary, he eagerly took it.
“I consider this my community,” he said, “so I’m thankful to be here.”
With his wide experience in law enforcement, Waid has a unique perspective on the particular aspects of school security.
“Instead of reacting to things, you can be proactive and get immersed in the community,” he said, “build a relationship with the kids and sort of be a mentor and maybe kind of sway them in a different direction.”
“If you see some trouble starting to come about,” he added, “you can maybe bring them under your wing and guide them in a different direction and make a more positive impact on them as an officer here.”
He said building relationships with students is the most rewarding part of the job.
“It’s high fives, fist bumps and hugs,” he said. “Every day is amazing. You come in here and you say to yourself: This is our future. What can I do to make things better for tomorrow?”
