Officer Coats: Our School’s Resource

Many students at Buffalo High School recognize the familiar face of our school’s resource officer, Chris Coats. However, long before he found his place in the front offices of BHS, he worked in very different settings, holding jobs within both a large corporation and the US military. 

There has been a lot of variability in Coats’ career as he has worked for Taco Bell and in construction during high school. 

He went into the military after graduation and was in the active duty army for many years. This allowed him to get his POST license (Peace Officer Standards and Training) and become a POST-licensed officer in Minnesota. He still has to continue his training; there are many different facets of law enforcement and school safety that he has to keep up to date on.

Once he graduated from college with a degree in marketing, he  worked for the Holiday gas station headquarters in Bloomington.

“I worked in the office [of Holiday]… [it] didn’t last long,” said Coats. “I wasn’t a big fan of that.” 

Interested in exploring different aspects of law enforcement, Coats eventually landed a job as Buffalo High School’s resource officer. 

“I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to see this side of law enforcement,” Coats said.

An additional benefit of this position is that it allows his schedule to be more similar to that of his three children. One of  them is in high school, which made him interested in seeing the differences of law enforcement while in a school and how to deal directly with students of that age. 

Coats said that a resource officer needs a good personality and the patience to work with teenagers. These skills are essential when your job is talking to kids all day. 

“[Some cops are] just more demanding,” Coats said. “So, having a good personality and somebody who’s able to talk to people is a huge trait to have. It’s needed especially when talking to kids … getting them through those tough times, listening and just being open.” 

Coats has slightly different tasks every day, a component of his job that he really enjoys. Some days he is just walking the halls, talking to kids, making sure people are doing what they are supposed to, and other days he is interviewing them. These interviews are not always about criminal activity, but usually about struggles within peer groups.

“[My job is] just a little bit of everything, so I’m kind of like that extra social worker,” Coats said.

Officer Coats wants everyone to know that they can come to him for anything, not just if they are in trouble for doing something wrong. He is a resource for anyone whether you are struggling at home, at school, or any other area, and he is there to guide you and give you resources.

 “My door is always open,” Coats said.