After just two weeks on the job, Mancos Town Marshal John Cox seems to be settling in nicely.
"Mancos is a good town," he said. "I like the people. It's friendly."
Cox may be new to the job, but he is not new to Mancos.
Cox came to Mancos last August as a deputy from Indiana. Bill Knauer, who was marshal at the time, asked Cox to come serve as a deputy. They knew each other and are both from Indiana.
Cox replaced Deputy Bill Price, whom he also knew.
"Bill (Price) was the best man at my wedding," Cox said.
Price was forced off duty because of health reasons. When Cox called to find out how his friend was, he agreed to fill the deputy position last year.
Knauer left to be a police chief in Indiana recently, leaving the marshal position open for Cox.
"Bill did a great job," Cox said. "He improved the communications with the town. My vision is staying the course that Bill started."
At 52, Cox said he is ready for the challenge the Mancos marshal faces.
"Our job is to enforce the law and we will do that," he said.
Cox was born and raised in Indiana. His wife Pam is a teacher and currently lives in Indiana, but has plans to come out to Mancos this summer.
Cox has 28 years of experience in law enforcement at worked mostly for the Fishers, Ind. Police Department. Three of those 28 years were at the Key West Police Department, where part of the uniform included a Hawaiian shirt.
"It was crazy," Cox said. "People just go to Key West to party."
Cox also helped establish a police department at a large school district in Indiana.
But if you really want to get on Cox's good side, just mention Jimmy Buffett.
"I'm a huge Jimmy Buffet fan," Cox said.
Such a fan, Cox helped get a street named after his idol in Fishers and even got to present a sign to him at a concert.
Cox said he is currently working on hiring another deputy, a decision that should be made by the end of the month and is working on getting computers installed in the marshal vehicles.
