Dewayne Simmons never imagined himself wearing a badge while he was growing up, but he admits now that being a Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputy is one of the most fulfilling life choices he could have ever made.

“It was never a job I ever thought I would want. When someone first mentioned it to me, I was like, ‘No way, I don’t want to be a cop,’ ” Simmons recalled.

But as he was making his way through college working towards a degree in drafting and design, the career change found itself on the horizon.

“After my mom died, that changed things for me. I realized it was time to grow up; I wasn’t a kid anymore,” he said.

Simmons put in the application that was suggested to him, and in 2014 he became a CPSO deputy.

To his admitted surprise, the job suited him well and he quickly moved up the ranks to the patrol division. Then, a surprise twist came in the form of a switch to serving in the public school system.

Simmons said he was told a civilian approached Sheriff Tony Mancuso and requested Simmons specifically be made a School Resource Officer.

“I remember my lieutenant telling me they were going to miss having me on patrols, but that what I was about to do was just as important. And it turns out he was right,” Simmons said.

In 2018, Simmons was assigned to LaGrange High School. The beginning was tough, he admits, as he worked to be assertive among the student population while at the same time trying to earn their trust.

“There was a lot of gang activity going on, and the kids weren’t really sure what to make of me coming in there. It took some time, but we were finally able to reach a different level where they could feel comfortable with me. I’ve learned that you have to be real with people. Be real with them and they’ll keep it real with you, and that has made all the difference. People know when you’re not being completely level with them — especially kids,” he stated.

Simmons works throughout the day keeping a close eye across the school campus. Always alert and vigilant, he said he maintains a level of awareness that allows him to be prepared to respond to any issue at any moment. What he wasn’t prepared for, though, was the level of concern he would develop for the kids within his guard.

“Yeah, I never thought I would be that guy, you know,” he admitted with a chuckle.

“My No. 1 priority is their safety — theirs and everyone else at the school — but now I know these kids and I truly care about their futures. I want them to be successful, and I’m willing to do what needs to be done to make that happen,” he said.

Part of that dedication comes from Simmons’ own experience as a youth.

“Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of people that look like me wearing a badge and I want to change that mentality. So now, these kids see me and they can see that they have potential, too, and can do whatever they want to do in life. That means a lot to me that they have visual proof right in front of them that they can do anything.”

But he doesn’t stop there. Putting his actions behind his words, Simmons has devoted much of his personal time to helping the students at his school succeed. He became a certified football coach at the school, and during the summer he helps students find jobs to “keep them out of trouble” when school is not in session.

“I fully believe in the mentality that if something is broken, then you fix it. And that’s what I’m doing, I’m finding the areas that need repair and I’m helping to fix the problem within these kids’ lives,” Simmons said.

In a twist he admits he never saw coming, Simmons now says he has no intention of leaving LaGrange any time soon.

“I believe there is still a lot of work to be done, and I intend to leave things better than the way I found it. In school, and in our communities outside of school.”