School resource officer retires after 37 years

A 37-year veteran of the Shawano Police Department was honored Sept. 7 as she retired from her position.

Jody Johnson’s career in law enforcement spanned time as a dispatcher, a patrol officer and a school resource officer.

“It is a strange feeling,” said Johnson. “I am kind of in denial about not going to work every day.”

Johnson started in Shawano in 1984 as a dispatcher, she then moved to a position as a patrol officer in 1995 and finally spent 21 years as a school resource officer, starting in 2000.

“Jody Johnson was quite unique,” Shawano Police Department Captain Shane Stange said. “She is someone that you cannot recreate.”

Johnson attributes her enjoyment of her job to her co-workers and the Shawano community.

“I have been blessed to work with great people at the police department and at the schools,” she said. “I loved work. It never seemed like work. I would wake up every day and never think I am upset that I have to go to work.”

Stange said it’s clear Johnson played a major part in the community from the fact that every time he went out on a call with her, she was familiar with the people involved.

“We didn’t go anywhere without her knowing someone at the call or the event,” said Stange.

He said that her actions and behaviors were exactly what the police department in Shawano represented.

“Our motto at the police department is to protect and serve,” said Stange. “She exemplified that.”

Johnson said she and her husband, who recently retired from the sheriff’s department, don’t have set plans of what they want to do next.

“I do have some hobbies that I want to pursue,” said Johnson. “I will still be on all of the committees. I want to learn how to golf better. We have UTVs that we can use. We also still have some kids in school, so I may have to learn sixth-grade math.”

Stange said people who are just entering the profession can learn a lot from Johnson’s actions.

“Jody has excellent communication skills,” said Stange. “I think that a lot of people can learn how to be a good communicator from the example that she set.”

He went on to tell a story when he and Johnson were on a call together. The pair of officers responded to a disturbance involving a child and a young mother. The child was acting up, and the mother was scared that something would happen to her or her newborn baby.

“The mother and the child knew Jody and called her during the situation,” said Stange. “It was in the evening and Jody came over to the house in lounging clothes, as she was getting ready for bed. She calmed the child down and sat and played a board game with the child even after the rest of us had left.”

Stange said he learned a lot from her, not only that night, but working with her in general.

Johnson said she has always been involved in working with children, proved by her experience in foster care.

“My husband and I became foster parents,” said Johnson. “In total, we fostered 29 children and we have adopted three of them.”

Along with foster care, Johnson spent a majority of her career working as a school resource officer for Shawano Community High School.

“She was integral to the school,” said Stange.

He said that before the hiring of two school liaison officers, Johnson would drive from school to school to make sure everything was running smoothly.

“She handled herself very well at the schools,” said Stange. “She was able to pitch in at all of them. She did whatever was needed and never said ‘that is not my job.’”

Stange believes that having someone like Johnson at the police department is important for not only the community, but co-workers as well.

“She has integrity,” said Stange. “She is a very good communicator and is very easy to talk to.”

According to Stange, the story about the board game is just one of many he has about working with her. He added that they both responded to a high-risk domestic disturbance call and he and Johnson were able to take care of two small children while other officers dealt with the situation.

Johnson said her experience in law enforcement taught her a lot of things.

“I have learned to be flexible and understanding,” said Johnson. “I always tried to leave people better than how I found them.”

With her retirement, Johnson hopes that she left a legacy of compassion.

“I always wanted to be a police officer,” said Johnson. “I always want to make a difference and help those who were less fortunate. I want everyone to recognize that everyone has good in them.”

In her career and experiences with working with children, Johnson said that she always wanted to encourage them to do what they wanted to do.

“I always wanted to encourage young girls to give back and look at a job in law enforcement,” Johnson said.

Johnson added that she wanted to thank the citizens and community for their support during her career.

lreimer@newmedia-wi.com