I have known Steve Cox for six or seven years and in that time came to regard him as a friend. I believe that he regarded me likewise.

This Community has lost a true asset, the kind that is not measured in monetary value but in human value.

I don't know a lot about Steve's background. Steve did not talk much about the past, but was always looking to the future and how it was going to be better.

From what I know Steve grew up in Shorewood, went to Evergreen High School and on to Central Washington University. He must have gone to Law School somewhere because we talked about his service as a prosecutor in Southeast Washington and how this part of the legal system was not as rewarding to him as being the officer that he was today.

I remember thinking that this was really a unique situation. Here was an officer who had been successful as a prosecutor, who had gone back to the Community where he was raised to serve as a patrol officer.

In my experience it is more the norm for officers to work in some other area than that in which they live. I have had it explained to me that this gives them "perspective." Steve chose a different path and yet I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who would say that Steve lacked perspective.

I met Steve at a North Highline Unincorporated Council meeting. I was attending the meetings to get a better understanding of the Community and its leaders. I went up to Steve after the meeting to ask a question about something that had been discussed.

He gave me a rather blunt answer and my first reaction to him was that he was another hard nosed cop, but I quickly understood that barely hidden under his gruff manner was a man with a very compassionate heart who would tell you the way things were and just assumed that you were bright enough to understand it.

There was no political speak in Steve's manner.

Over the time that I have known him we have probably sat down and actually talked about a dozen times. Steve always struck me as a calm yet very intense personality.

The first few times I sat down with Steve were all business. Only after Steve became comfortable with me could we share thoughts and ideas on the wide range of subjects that allowed us to become friends.

I have always left these opportunities feeling like I knew more about my community and about life in general than when I sat down.

With all the things that an officer sees it would be understandable if he came across in a negative manner at times, but Steve was never negative. He would talk of some disturbing things in sometimes graphic language, but always had an idea of how these things could be changed for the better.

Whether at work as an officer or on his off hours, Steve was always trying to make a contribution to this Community.

I last saw Steve on the Thursday before his death at the 98th Street technical workshop, just stopping by to see if he could help. When I heard about his death two days later I could not believe it.

There was not a stronger advocate for this Community and I will miss him.

Gordon Shaw is a Burien city councilman.