The National Association of School Resource Officers announced Logan City Police Department Detective Leticia Johnson as National School Resource Officer of the Year Thursday.
NASRO will present Johnson the Floyd Ledbetter National School Resource Officer of the Year Award during its National School Safety Conference in Texas, July 7.
According to a press release, the award recognizes school resource officers who have made specific and significant contributions to their local communities or school districts.
“Detective Johnson’s commitment to the well-being and personal growth of students goes far beyond her assigned duties,” NASRO Executive Director Mo Canady said.
Johnson teaches a “Nurturing, Opportunities, Values, Accountability” course to the fifth-grade students at the six elementary schools she serves.
“(Johnson) uses this platform to build meaningful relationships with every student with whom she interacts, taking time to engage with them individually and offering a level of mentorship that leaves a lasting impact,” Canady said.
The press release highlighted the Lunch with a Cop program Johnson launched, where schools nominate students who exhibit kindness, integrity and responsibility for her to take to lunch.
Johnson told The Herald Journal she participated in a similar program when she was in elementary school in Hyrum. She said it was impactful and made her realize she wanted to be a police officer.
Through the Lunch with a Cop program and by teaching NOVA, Johnson said she hopes to make a similar impact on the students she interacts with.
“Detective Johnson clearly embodies the spirit of service, compassion and dedication that our SRO of the Year award seeks to honor,” Canady said.
LCPD announced the news on its Facebook page. According to the post, the elementary school teachers and administrators Johnson works with submitted her name to NASRO.
“We’ve had many outstanding school resource officers in our department, and we are so proud of them,” Chief Jeff Simmons said. “But Letty has been extra special in that role and deserves every accolade. We are so proud of her.”
Johnson said the administrators and students at Adams Elementary, along with her family and Logan City Mayor Holly Daines, surprised her by announcing she won the award during an assembly last month.
“I’m still shocked by it,” Johnson said. “I’m very happy. It feels really good to know the schools, staff, teachers and kids I work with feel the way they do about me. I’m super excited.”
Simmonds said Johnson was chosen out of about 23,000 school resource officers in the nation.
NASRO is a non-profit organization dedicated to making schools and children safer through training for school-based law enforcement officers.