Brenda Cooper, a communications officer for the Spring Hill Police Department, wentfrom working with prisoners for 27 years to working with students here on campus.
‘Mrs. Brenda,’ as most of the student call her, changed her life around when she decidedto move from her job as a jailer dispatcher with the City of Saraland to work for the Spring HillPolice Department. She explained that three and a half years ago she “traded prisoners forstudents.” Cooper has a deep love for her students which is a large reason she works the nightshift. In addition, Coopers husband of 30 years works night shifts as a deputy and she enjoysworking nights to be able to spend time with him. She also told me “I like working the midnightshift because my daughter who has Multiple Sclerosis needs help with the children every nowand then.” You could consider Cooper a people-person because has a total of sevengrandchildren and gets just as much joy from spending time with others.
Cooper radiates with joy when talking about ‘her students’ because they are such a bigpart of her life. She explains, “They are the joy of my life, they are the joy of my job!” Whenstudents come to talk to Cooper, she will sit down and talk with them about whatever is on theirminds. She especially loves Thursday nights because the students tell her how much they loveher out the windows of their Ubers.
The ‘celebrities’ on campus are a favorite of this communications officer, as she states,“We have Barbies, we have a Ken doll, and we even have Shaggy from Scooby-Doo.” She lovesto variety of faces and personalities on our campus and wants everyone to feel happy and safe.Cooper has such a caring and humorous personality. One of her favorite things is when studentsbring her food, especially donuts, and she sometimes will jokingly tell the students who forgettheir IDs after 10:00 p.m. at the gate that they can buy her dinner or give her 25 dollars in orderto be let on campus.
Overall, Cooper love for her students makes her job so much more enjoyable, and sheloves when students stop by to talk. She tells students that she “is always here anytime anybodyneeds to talk.” Stop by the guard house on Old Shell Road for some memorable stories andanytime you need a smile.