Pelion, SC (Paul Kirby) – Pelion police officer and elementary school resource officer Odell Glenn is a multitalented public servant. When he came to work in the small Lexington County town, many didn’t know the treasure they’d found in Glenn. Few could have ever imagined how well-liked and popular Glenn would become.
Glenn himself is the father of three grown children. He retired as an investigator from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department after 17 years there. Prior to being promoted, he was the school resource officer at Blythewood High School, a post he found he had a passion for. Glenn recently said, “Retirement is highly overrated,” so he jumped at the opportunity to go back to work in Pelion when his current position came open. He found the Pelion job through his relationship with Lt. John Rebojl who was already working for Pelion Police Chief Michael Crider. Glenn said, “I’ve sort of adopted Pelion as my home,” during a recent interview.
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Glenn is assigned to work at Forts Pond and Pelion Elementary Schools as their SRO. At these elementary schools in Pelion, Glenn has formed a special bond with the children he interacts with every day. He’s affectionately known to the students as Officer O.G., the shortened version of his title and name that is simple for young children to remember.
Certainly, Officer O.G. enforces the law if necessary, but more often he’s the student’s chief motivator too. He may act as a social worker, a mentor, and is often the only positive male role model some of the children ever know. School staffers say Officer O.G. always makes time to offer a pat on the back, provide a listening ear, offer words of encouragement, and even a shoulder to cry on if a student’s having a bad day. His instincts as an officer often detect students with personal problems at home that might also need to be addressed. In cases like this, he’ll coordinate and intercede with other agencies on a child’s behalf, even if they live outside the town.
Officer Glenn is also known for his talents as a DJ, rapper, dancer, and someone who knows when a little lighthearted kidding may be in order. Administrators, teachers, and students know he’ll say or do something funny as his way of making the clouds part when their day seems gloomy. Glenn believes that often, a smile and a laugh is the best medicine and he dispenses that medicine regularly. During Spirit Week, he’s made appearances costumed as Captain America, Michael Jackson, and popular Hip-Hop personality Flavor Flav. Glenn said with a laugh during an interview for this article, “I must say I do a mean Flavor Flav!” Now, as if Officer O.G. didn’t have enough to keep himself occupied, he’s authoring a series of children’s book chronicling the adventures he experiences every day at the schools.
His first book, The Adventures of Officer O.G.: School Cop, is already available from Amazon. It’s the first in a series of books that answers questions children may have about the person with a badge and gun that greets them at school each day. Glenn says the series is intended to teach about situations that may be frightening to young children, situations that could occur at any school. “Some of the subjects I plan to cover are Stranger Danger, fires, bomb threats, and unauthorized intruders on campus,” Glenn said recently. The Adventures of Officer O.G.: School Cop explains in easy to read and understand terms these dangers and how their school’s SRO helps keep the children safe from harm. It will also show these officers’ work throughout the day. They also detail the SROs’ love of teaching your kids to be safe right alongside their teacher partners.
Amazon’s book section describes The Adventures of Officer O.G.: School Cop, as a series of books for adults as much as their children. Everyone loves a good adventure and Officer O.G. can take you on a fun ride into their schools. They’ll show you things you may not have known about today’s schools and how important the SROs are to each campus and student safety.
Glenn says sales are brisk and he’s working on the next book in the series. Once parents and children have collected the whole set, they’ll be able to share them with friends and family. At some point, those may want to collect their own series too.
To order the first book, simply go to www.amazon.com and search for the title The Adventures of Officer O.G.: School Cop. They’re $9.99 each for paperback and can be purchased for unlimited reading on an Amazon Kindle for just $4.69.
