First in Service Friday: Harry Johnson
FIRST IN SERVICE FRIDAY. Please help the City of Myrtle Beach congratulate Harry Johnson for being this week's First in Service Friday Employee of the Week! Harry has been with the MBPD for more than 12 years as a Detention Officer. He was born and raised in Conway, and is a Conway High School graduate. He is also a South Carolina State University alumni. Harry is being recognized for not only his #FirstinService attitude, but his passion to help his community. He says he enjoys his career because "I enjoying working with the public, inmates, juveniles and coworkers. I feel like we have the ability to change the public and inmates perspectives. You have to be professional, listen and think rational while on duty. I embrace the challenges that comes with this job. I like helping people. I love when an inmate comes back to the service desk to talk to me about how our conversation helped him/her make a difference to his/her life." Harry's nomination reads:
"I am writing to nominate Detention Officer Harry Johnson for the First in Service Friday award. DO Johnson has been with MBPD for over 12 years and is highly recognized by all co-workers and PD leadership as a peer leader. He is a resource for information, a problem solver and an active FTO. He has trained and mentored multiple new hires consecutively for over a year. He is an effective communicator with inmates and I have seen him de-escalating high stress situations by finding a way to relate to the inmate and bring him/her down to a safe, rational level. He puts himself out there to help inmates in difficult situations and takes time to guide them to better life choices. Inmates know him by name and call to follow up seeking additional resource information.
DO Johnson is very active in the community although you would never know it because of his quiet and humble nature. He is not only a mentor to new hires and inmates, but also to the youth in the community. He volunteers as a coach for an AAU basketball team and has paid for athletes' socks, shoes and tournament fees for those in need. He also is a skilled barber and is known to cut children’s hair for free at a local shelter. Officer Johnson has even gone so far as to pay for students to go on field trips when the child’s family did not have enough to cover the cost, along with collecting clothing and hygiene items for the adult homeless. DO Johnson is the epitome of a public servant with a true servant's attitude!"
Wow! Thank you, Harry. We are lucky to have you on the #CityofMyrtleBeach team. You are appreciated!