Sean Marchese went on the advice of longtime friends, one of whom serves as a cop in New Jersey, when it came to becoming a police officer.

That friend, Marchese said, counted as one who said he loved what he did for a living — something others rarely said.

“He was a part of the reason I started this career,” Marchese said. “When I started thinking of this career and started talking to my friends, he is the only one out of all my friends that could legitimately say ‘I love my job. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.’ That resonated with me. And I have to say he was right. Obviously this job isn’t for everyone, but if it is for you, it’s the greatest.”

Marchese has been with the Sedona Police Department since 2007. Though he works in patrol, Marchese is also assigned as the School Resource Officer for Sedona Red Rock High School. Prior to 2007, Marchese practiced law in New Jersey.

“It’s a whole different world there,” Marchese said. “It’s a different culture, different environment. This has been a great career move. I love this job. It’s a great town to work in.”

As a former big city resident, he said he’s still in awe when it comes to the red rocks of Sedona.

“All I have to do on a slow day is look up from the road to remind myself how lucky I am to be here. It’s a cool place,” Marchese said.

His duties as school resource officer, he said, include regular police duties, law-related classes, crisis prevention and assisting school staff with issues that arise periodically.

“I deal with the kids. I help the kids try to bridge that gap between law enforcement and the kids. There’s a lot of misconception about law enforcement, what we do, why we do it. I try to get them to understand that we are really there to help them. We’re on their side,” Marchese said. “It’s been a really rewarding experience. I have a great working relationship with the [school] administration.”

When it comes to his future, Marchese said he hopes to remain in Sedona and move up the department’s ranks.

“To me it’s the greatest job I’ve ever had. I’ve never had a job where I don’t know what’s going to happen on a given day. I literally cannot make up the stories that come out of this job,” Marchese said. “Ideally I’d like to stay here in Sedona. I’m in no rush. I look at this as a 20-year career.”

Marchese doesn’t take his work home with him if he can help it. As an expecting father, he has other matters to consider at home.

“I’m excited about that. We will find out the sex in about a week, so it’s still early,” Marchese said. “My whole world is about to change, but I’m looking forward to it. It will add a whole new layer to my life. This is new for me.”

Sedona Police Cmdr. Ron Wheeler said Marchese’s work with students has helped both youth and their parents better understand the role of the police department in the community.

“He brings a lot of knowledge from different aspects of life and he’s put them to good use. These last couple years he’s been the SRO at [Sedona] Red Rock High School and he’s done phenomenal things there. We’re very happy with him and I expect him to do great things in the future with our agency,” Wheeler said.