Before the first bell rings, Detective Leticia Johnson is already on campus — directing traffic, greeting families and making sure students start their day feeling seen and safe. As the Logan City Police Department’s first female and first Latina school resource officer, Johnson serves six elementary schools, moving constantly between campuses where her presence is as much about relationships as it is safety.
In 2025, that work earned Johnson national recognition when she was named National School Resource Officer of the Year, an honor highlighting her commitment to student safety and her ability to build trust and connection across school communities.
Her path to this role was shaped early. As a child, Johnson participated in a D.A.R.E. class and formed a lasting connection with her own school resource officer — someone who showed up consistently, took kids to lunch and made policing feel human. That experience planted a dream she carried after moving from Mexico to the United States at age five. But becoming a police officer wasn’t immediate. Hurdles delayed her ability to attend the academy until age 27, and just as her career began, Johnson was diagnosed with breast cancer.
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After years of chemotherapy, surgeries and waiting, she finally took the road — and never looked back. Today, Johnson teaches values-based N.O.V.A. (Nurturing, Opportunities, Values, Accountability) classes, investigates cases that arise on school campuses and builds trust one lunch table at a time. For many students, she’s not just the first police officer they’ve ever known — she’s the first one who looks like them.
Below, Johnson shares what a typical day looks like as a school resource officer, the skills required to succeed in schools and why she believes the role isn’t a place to slow down — but a place to make lasting change.
What does a typical day in your role as a School Resource Officer look like?
I am the SRO at six elementary schools in the City of Logan. My day usually starts early in the morning, about an hour before school begins. I try to get to a school during drop-off, which is the busiest time for traffic. I help with traffic control, crosswalks, speed limits and crossing guards. I greet students, staff and parents. It’s a good time to get to know the kids’ families since they’re dropping students off, so it allows me to connect not only with the kids, but also with their families.
Overall, I try to make a presence in the morning and make sure people know there is an officer at the school, because I think it helps deter some of the things that happen. I then go into the lunchroom and spend time with the kids while they eat breakfast, helping out with any situations that come up. There’s always something going on in a school.
During lunchtime, I make sure that every single day I have lunch with students at one of the schools. I think it’s one of the best times to build relationships and focus on one-on-one time with them, especially because I also teach N.O.V.A. It’s similar to D.A.R.E., but it’s a program that was founded in Orem, Utah. The program focuses on values, which is mainly what we teach. If I’m teaching N.O.V.A., I teach about 7-10 classes a week.
That takes up most of my day. If I’m not teaching, I work from a classroom. We have a lot of paperwork, and I don’t have an office to sit in, so I pick a classroom, ask the kids if it’s OK if I sit and work with them, and almost every time they say “yes.” I sit down and work while making sure I’m also present for the other grades. I get to know fifth graders especially well because I teach them.
I also respond to calls as they come in. Schools will call me, and I move from school to school. I handle investigations such as child abuse cases, property theft, property damage, and a wide range of other cases that flow in and out throughout the day. I’m never bored.
What challenges do you face regularly, and how do you handle them?
The schools have amazing staff and people who truly care about the kids. There are occasional behavior issues and some students who take up a lot of time and resources, but the staff at all the schools I work at do such an amazing job that it’s not necessarily a big challenge. It’s more about taking things day by day and working together to handle them.
For me, I wish there could be more of me. Covering six elementary schools makes it really hard to be everywhere at once. There are weeks when you’re focused on on-duty responsibilities — responding to calls, handling investigations and doing paperwork — and that takes time away from what I really want to do, which is build relationships and be part of the school culture during fun events, assemblies and things like cheering the kids on at a spelling bee. I wish I could split my time more, but there just isn’t enough time in the day.
What unique skills or tools are essential for success in this role?
Communication is really important. I think it’s probably one of the most essential skills you need, because you’re not just dealing with adults — you’re talking to four-year-olds.
You also have kids as old as 11 or 12 before they move on to middle school, so you have to be good at communicating, understanding age differences and knowing how to say things without being scary. When I first walked into classrooms, the kids were scared. They’d ask, “Why are you here? Did something bad happen?” And I would tell them, “No, I just want to hang out. I’m here to spend time with you. I just want to be one of the cool kids.”
Your face and body language matter. Sometimes, coming from the road, we’re defensive. We’re always looking around and watching our backs. Being in schools has thawed my heart in a way. I tell the kids all the time, “You’ve made me soft, and I love being here. I care too much, and I love too much.” It’s something you need in your career once in a while — seeing the good. It’s been an amazing opportunity.
When you come into a school, you have to be willing to adjust to a different world and a different culture. Kids will know if they’re bothering you because your face will tell them. They’re incredibly smart and pick up on everything.
What are the most rewarding aspects of being an SRO?
I think people underestimate the impact one person can have on many kids in different ways — even small interactions. Remembering a student’s name or what they told you last week can mean a lot. Some kids don’t have someone at home they can talk to. Their home life might be difficult, sad or unstable.
When they come to school, they get to be kids. I love that about school. Every student should be able to come to school without worrying about problems at home and just be a kid. As a school resource officer, you can help make school a safe place. When kids see you around, know you’ll be there for them and trust that you’ll follow through on what you say, they feel safe and comfortable.
This job is incredibly rewarding. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I tell my chief that I think I’m ruined, because nothing will ever live up to this. You get hugs, high-fives and kids telling you they love you — and they genuinely mean it. All I’m doing is trying to be there for them, and to them, that means a lot.
Can you share a memorable experience that highlights your impact as an SRO?
There are so many. I’ve been doing this for three years, and every year I think, “How am I going to beat this year?” because I’m having so much fun. I enjoy it so much, and then something new and incredible happens.
One of the most memorable moments was my first year as an SRO while teaching a fifth-grade N.O.V.A. class. I was stumbling over my words because I went to the police academy to be an officer, not a teacher. The kids were patient and helped me through it.
One day, I got a call from our local radio station telling me I had been nominated as a hometown hero. The host said I was nominated by a fifth grader — a 10-year-old. They told me they’d never had a child nominate anyone before. She wrote kind things about me and said I was the best officer in the world. Honestly, that’s all I needed to hear.
In the video below, three key steps for success as a school resource officer are broken down, focusing on trust-building with staff, meaningful engagement with students and maintaining strong law enforcement relationships — all foundational skills echoed throughout Johnson’s day-to-day work in schools.
Have students told you that you’ve inspired them to pursue law enforcement?
Yes, and that’s the part that makes me emotional. As police officers, we learn to keep our emotions inside. I started a program called “Lunch with a Cop” because when I was young, I went to lunch with my school resource officer three times, and it made such an impact on me.
When I had the opportunity, the police department, district and schools were fully supportive. I take three kids at a time to lunch, about once a quarter. The school selects students who are working hard and doing the right thing.
Lately, I’ve heard kids say, “When I grow up, I want to be a police officer. I want to be a teacher. I want to be just like you.” I don’t always know what to say.
I was born in Mexico. I’m the first Latina school resource officer and the first female SRO Logan has had. I look like many of these kids, and I tell them, “I was just like you.”
When my daughters buy Barbies, they buy dolls that look like them. I want kids to see officers who look like them too — with their skin color, hair and features. During Halloween, I try to visit as many schools as possible. Kids dress up as police officers and tell me, “I’m you.” They have parades and events, and it’s a day full of sugar and chaos. I’ve seen students with their hair in a bun just like mine, and it’s amazing. All I want is to inspire someone and show them it’s possible.
What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career as an SRO?
Sometimes the SRO position is seen as a relaxed job — good hours, easier on the body. And while the hours are decent, the ideal person for this job is someone in their prime. Someone with energy, who’s hungry for change and wants to make an impact.
You have flexibility to start programs with the district, the community and the police department, and to engage with the community in meaningful ways. If someone truly wants to make change, this is the perfect position.
It’s not a retirement role. You’re busy, and you learn so much. The knowledge I’ve gained is unmeasurable — not just in policing, but in life. You work with different people, in a different culture, and it makes you a more well-rounded person and a better police officer.
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What was it like receiving the National School Resource Officer of the Year Award?
It’s insane. I feel like I’m dreaming most of the time. I don’t know how to show the appreciation or gratitude I feel, because you don’t do this job for recognition or awards. Law enforcement goes through many phases depending on what the world is seeing and experiencing.
It’s amazing that people think I’m doing something great. At the same time, I feel nervous because now there’s pressure. You don’t give someone a national award and then expect them not to feel that pressure. But it shows that the staff believe in what I’m doing and see the importance of it.
Working together has been one of the best things that’s happened. In this role, you can make it what you want. You can do as much or as little as you choose. When you come into the position wanting to make real change, the schools are there. They’re waiting. They want it.
