Mark Shaw, deputy chief of public safety for Indian River Shores, has decided it’s time to slow down a bit.
A Vero Beach High School graduate with 21 years of service to Shores residents and nearly 35 years in public safety, Shaw had been working full time as the second in command of the town’s triple-trained police, fire and paramedic force, making progress on a doctorate degree, and teaching night classes at the Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex at Indian River State College.
As of Feb. 6, he’s officially “retired” from the Town of Indian River Shores, ending a commendation-filled career in which he earned the respect of his colleagues, town residents and elected officials who run the town.
Shaw said he will continue to teach courses at the public safety academy, but now that he’s retired, he might switch to teaching daytime classes. He also intends to spend more time with his daughter and her family in North Carolina.
Shaw’s son followed his footsteps into law enforcement, serving with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Nicholas Shaw gave his dad a proud moment in September, as the younger Shaw was the officer who spotted, stopped and arrested the man charged with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump on Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
Before joining the Shores in 2004, Shaw worked 10 years for Indian River County Emergency Services, rising to the rank of EMS captain, plus three years for the Vero Beach Police Department after furthering his education at the police academy.
Shaw, who earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Oklahoma in 2020 and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, was promoted to police captain in 2020 upon Tony Dudley’s retirement.
Shores Public Safety Chief Tad Stone, who came to Indian River Shores after retiring twice – once as Seminole County’s top public safety officer and then as Indian River County Emergency Services Director and Fire Chief – said he would not be promoting anyone to the deputy chief position anytime soon.
The agency’s lieutenants Albert Iovino and Edward Ryer now serve as the top-ranked officers under Chief Stone.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
