The Southeastern Police Department has named their Officer of the Year for 2018. Housing Liaison Officer Jourdan Hatcher received the honor after only three years with the department. Hatcher says one memory sticks out that may have pushed him over the edge to grab the award.
“Last year at the Special Olympics we had a call in concern for one of the participants
and the
CEO of the Special Olympics of Louisiana organization did commend me and another
one of the officers in the shift for how we handled the call.”
Hatcher still assists in bicycle patrols on campus. Many may not understand the day to day of a bicycle patrolling officer but Hatcher explains the job comes with a certain mobility.
“We are a lot more readily accessible. People recognize us quickly, they flag us down, we have time to stop, and it is easy to pull off to the side of the road as far as responding to an incident or emergency.”
Hatcher says he plans on staying in university policing after graduating with his masters in Organizational Communication. He hopes that could eventually bleed into some instructing opportunities.
“Down the road, part-time, whether it is criminal justice or in the communication field, and possibly even as a police academy instructor part-time”
One of Hatcher’s more present goals is to get students involved in the Housing Cadet Program which helps university housing professionals and students to come together and promote a safe environment throughout the dorms.
Connor Ferrill, age 21, is a junior at Southeastern Louisiana University. A Communication major, Ferrill loves discovering new music, and serves as 90.9 FM KSLU's afternoon drive time host (3pm-6pm).
