Behind the Badge: Getting to Know SRO LyDon Logan

NORTONVILLE, Ky. (WEHT) – Finding a balance between law enforcement and mentor can be difficult for some school resource officers, but not for Deputy LyDon Logan.

Deputy Logan spends his days walking the halls of Southside Elementary and South Hopkins Middle School each school day, looking for ways to help students. Before becoming a school resource officer, he served as a police officer. In September 2018, he decided he needed a change.

“Working patrol, I was always looking for people doing bad. I had to arrest people. When people see you it is usually in a bad situation but working at the school, I am here to make a difference in people’s life.”

Now, Deputy Logan wears many hats: custodian, mentor, friend, adminstrator and even football coach.

“All of the kids are like ‘Hey, Coach Logan.’ I am no longer Officer Logan or Deputy Logan. I am Coach Logan. Now I am Coach Logan – now during lunch the kids come to my table and talk football and it is a great thing.”

By being a school resource officer, Logan says he is able to help kids see law enforcment in a positive light.

“I let them know that seeing a person in a uniform, they are not always not looking for bad things in people – they see the good in people.”

Over the years, Logan has become a school hallway staple. He knows many of the students by name. By building relationships with students, he is able to help them see new perspectives. Some students were not fond of police officers, until they met Logan.

“They see somebody who is here to help, they see me as someone who has problems like they have problems, and I like that. I do not want them to feel like I am some authorative figure that they are scared to talk to, I want them to be able to come talk to me on a regular basis.”

Logan feels right at home, treating the kids like his own.