Mark perry - the person behind the security screen

By: Victoria Wright 

Underneath the uniform marking him as Glenelg High School’s security deputy, Officer Mark Perry lives a life full of interesting moments and heartwarming interactions with students. 

Known as an uplifting spirit to those at Glenelg, Perry does a lot more than just hand out tickets to those without a parking pass.

​Perry’s official school position’s title is Security Assistant, and the job mainly entails monitoring the security cameras used to keep students safe. Perry also monitors the school parking lots, observing arrivals and departures. He works closely with the school’s SRO, officer Lapp, and the school administration to ensure the safety of all students, staff, and visitors.

On his own time, Perry enjoys attending school events. This includes sporting events, dance recitals, drama shows, or music concerts. Other activities Perry enjoys are spending time with his wife and kids, as well as doing projects around the house. Perry also mentioned the fact that since his children are now grown, he likes to travel with his wife. Although, he said, one of his absolute favorite things to do at the moment is spend time with his new granddaughter.

When asked about his childhood, Perry said that he has wanted to be a police officer since he was a young child. He became a Federal Police Officer for almost two years before being hired by the Howard County Police Department in 1989. He stayed with the department for 25 years before retiring. 

Perry’s need to stay busy following retirement brought him to Glenelg, where he has worked for the past nine years. 

Perry describes his experience working at Glenelg as a great opportunity.

“I work with administration and teachers who I feel are the best in the county,” he said. “I also feel Glenelg students are the best and I enjoy being around them.” 

Given that he works in security and with law enforcement, two facets of the job that can lead to stressful situations, Perry said his stress doesn’t really take effect until after the situation is over, but he finds talking to his wife or a coworker brings solace. When it comes to handling conflict at the school, Perry says his go to response is to remain calm and deal with the situation in a more positive manner. 

Despite his work responsibilities, Perry said that his favorite part of his job is the interactions he has with students. Although the boys in the class of 2025 give him some of his craziest stories, he said that the support he gets from principal Hastings-Hauf, assistant principals, and students at Glenelg make it all worth it.