By Hope Thompson

For the Enquirer

Hartselle High students and faculty are preparing to say goodbye to student resource officer Michael Hudson at the end of the school year. Hudson, who has served as SRO at Hartselle High School for 16 years, has recently been promoted to sergeant in the Hartselle Police Department.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 23 years,” Hudson said. “I’ll miss working with young people at the high school, but I’m excited to get back on the road.”

The promotion of Hudson to sergeant has been in the works for some time. “Rotating these officers into different roles in the community gives them an opportunity for more diversity in their careers,” Capt. Ron Sparks of the Hartselle Police Department explained.

After a year of testing, interviewing and deliberating on Hudson’s experience, the choice was made to promote Hudson to sergeant. “Hudson is an outstanding, model SRO,” Sparks said. “He has gone above and beyond the calls of his job. He was promoted to sergeant because he was the best candidate. It’s a good move for the department.”

Of course, while Hudson’s promotion is great news for the community and an excellent opportunity for him, he will be very missed by students and faculty at Hartselle High.

“We’re very happy for him, but we’re extremely sad,” Hartselle High School Principal Jeff Hyche said. “He wears many hats. His job is to protect. He is very good at de-escalating conflict – that’s a talent.”

According to Hudson however, it’s not a talent; it’s just his job and what “God wired me to do.”

“Being an SRO has been very rewarding,” Hudson said. He said one thing he has learned in his years at Hartselle High School is the gray area involved. “You just never know what people go home to at night,” Hudson explained. “I have tried to be understanding of that.”

The success stories are a big part of what makes it all worthwhile, he added. “I have had people tell me certain students just won’t make it,” Hudson said. “To see those same students graduate and move on with their lives, to get married and have families – it’s rewarding to know that you had a hand in that.”

Officer Zeke Eubanks will be taking over the role of SRO beginning in August for the next school year. For the next two weeks, Eubanks will be shadowing Hudson to observe his daily routine.

Both Sparks and Hyche said they are looking forward to bringing Eubanks on board at Hartselle High.

Hudson encouraged Eubanks to “be himself and be willing to listen. Students respect someone that they feel they can talk to.”

Hudson said he is looking forward to the new role he has taken on and is eager to help influence some of the younger officers on the force. He said he wants his younger colleagues to see that he still loves coming to work, even after 23 years on the force.