For nearly twenty years, Officer Jamie Johnson worked as a police officer for the Lexington Police Department (LPD). He intended to retire from LPD upon achieving twenty five years of service; however, a unique opportunity came about that sparked his interest: being a police officer in an elementary school.
Leaving LPD had not been a part of Officer Johnson’s career plan. Leaving LPD to work in the elementary school where his sons were students and his wife was employed was absolutely not in his career plan. Nevertheless, Officer Johnson was intrigued by the position and liked the thought of working in the same place where his family spent their days, so he applied for the job of School Resource Officer (SRO) at Huntertown Elementary.
A week after his sooner-than-anticipated retirement from LPD, Officer Johnson was walking the halls of Huntertown as the school’s first SRO. His working environment changed drastically as did the actual type of police work. When he was employed by the police department, Officer Johnson's days were spent responding to multiple calls and being dispatched to different locations after something unfortunate had already happened. He says, “It was almost all after the fact. It was a bunch of picking up the pieces and paperwork.”
Officer Johnson describes one of the biggest differences between working for a city police department and being an SRO is that working in the school allows him to be more proactive than reactive. He explains, “As soon as students get off the bus in the morning, they see me. When they go to leave in the afternoon, they see me. There is very little picking up the pieces because you’re already here. I can put my feelers out because I have a good report with a lot of the kids. They’ll talk to me if they have a problem.” The time and effort that Officer Johnson has spent building positive relationships with the students at Huntertown is the foundation for the proactive type of work he enjoys. Opening milk cartons and ketchup packets has a direct impact on a student feeling comfortable enough to share with Officer Johnson anything that is making them feel sad or unsafe.
Officer Johnson’s eagerness to invest in students and to serve the community at Huntertown does not go unnoticed by his colleagues. Sara Murrell, school counselor, says, “He is always helping anywhere he is needed. When our custodians were out, he stayed late and picked up trash each day and cleaned toilets and floors. Jamie is rarely in his office, as he is always working with kids or staff or doing safety checks. He works so hard each day to do his job well and to make sure everyone around him is taken care of. He has a phenomenal work ethic, a truly compassionate heart, and a love for the Huntertown students and staff that is second to none.”
The influence Officer Johnson has on Huntertown students is one that is simultaneously genial and deeply profound. He recognizes that students’ experiences with police officers are drastically different case by case. In fact, he had one student approach him and say that he had changed her opinion of police officers. In return, he asked her how he had accomplished this. The student replied simply, “You’re just that kind of guy.”
The work of a school resource officer is absolutely essential to creating and maintaining a safe learning environment for students and staff members. From enforcing safety protocols and actively monitoring the security of the building to participating in story time while wearing a silly hat and helping kids tie their shoes, Officer Jamie Johnson takes care of the Huntertown family by putting his whole heart into his role. It is clear to see why the staff at Huntertown wanted him to receive the school's Woodford Outstanding Service Award for the 2021-2022 school year.
When asked how receiving this award made him feel, Officer Johnson says the following:
I was very happy. It was a nice recognition. Anything that your peers vote you
for always means a lot. Somebody saw something that I was doing which stands
out to me because everyone here is so busy…Everything here is down to a minute
because we’re trying to squeeze so much into the day. I know how busy the teachers
and classified staff are, so it means a lot to me that they saw something I was doing
that stood out to them. Everyone in this building does so much every day, and they
all do such outstanding work. To be able to stand out within that group is an
accomplishment in itself.
Officer Johnson values his colleagues and team at Huntertown dearly. Part of his outstanding service is evident in how he has helped to accomplish tasks for his teammates should they be out of school for any number of reasons. He says, “The kids still get off the bus every morning, so everything has to go flawlessly.” Officer Johnson is invaluable in helping Huntertown have flawless days, all for the benefit of students.
Thank you, Officer Johnson, for your dedication, selflessness, and heart. Congratulations on receiving the Woodford Outstanding Service Award!
