Across schools, neighborhoods, and even homes, safety is a shared necessity among all. Hence, it’s important to recognize law enforcement officers, the individuals who dedicate their lives to protecting others. Appreciating the very officer within one’s own school, however, proves even more meaningful. At Lincoln East, that officer is Scott Eveland, who has been trusted with the mission of keeping East safe and has come a long way to do so.
Starting in Ogalala, Nebraska, Eveland paves his future.
“I graduated from high school in a town called Ogalala, Nebraska, and went to college originally for broadcasting. I worked as a 911 dispatcher in Hastings, Nebraska, where I then decided I wanted to become a police officer,” Eveland said. “I went to work for the Hastings Police Department, went back to school, and got a degree in criminal justice administration.”
After nine years of work for the HPD, Eveland decided to aim for his dream career, boating enforcement for the state of Nebraska.
“I had grown up near a lake, so I moved back to that lake and did boating enforcement–patrolling on the water, investigating boat accidents–[essentially, just] making sure people were safe while out on boats.” Eveland added. “In 2019, the state restructured those positions and eliminated the job I had out there, so I started looking and came to work for the Lincoln Police Department (LPD), where I [got back in the flow of] city police work.”
Now an LPD officer, the position to be a school resource officer (SRO) for LPS opened up to Eveland.
“In 2024, I interviewed [as] one of 15 people looking for SRO positions, and was blessed to get this position here,” Eveland stated. “I’ve also gone back to school and gotten my master’s degree in public administration.”
Eveland’s hard work, dedication, and positivity has not gone unnoticed, however. Students and staff recognize these quality traits on a daily basis.
“[Eveland] is in the job for the right reasons–he wants the right things to happen–for people to be safe and doing what they should be doing” associate principal, Karl Lautenschlager said. “He’s honest, friendly, and positive about that; it’s pretty hard to get a negative rise on him.”
Optimism is an essential trait to be able to perform SRO duties. As the primary source of school safety, Eveland is entrusted with many roles and responsibilities to ensure security and a sense of belonging.
“I do a little bit of everything; I like to say it’s like being a small town cop in my own little town of 2000 people. I’m mainly here for law enforcement things,” Eveland said. “Sometimes there are crimes or things that need to be investigated that either happen at the school or involve individuals within the school. Traffic enforcement and being an educator in some forms like working on instructional things, doing programs on law enforcement or criminal justice, or just being a resource for people that want those things is also common.”
Though, even as an SRO, Eveland is not strictly doing work relating to the law. His position varies from patrolling, teaching, and at times, counseling.
“Even though I’m not a certified counselor, there’s an informal counseling role [I do as well]. There’s times where I can help with problem solving, working with students, or working with staff to help plug people into other resources.” Eveland added. “The day is never the same, and that’s what I love about this job.”
Even as a positive individual, Eveland confronts hardships everyday; however, with hardship comes ease.
“[There’s situations at times where] the best thing I can do is be a good listener and validate people’s experiences. Sometimes, that’s frustrating if that’s all I can do is be empathetic and validate,” Eveland said. “It’s definitely worth it everyday, though, because I come into school and I see so many different kids in a great environment smiling or saying hello. East High School is an amazing school; staff and teachers care about everybody here and it’s really cool to see that.”
East students and staff are delighted by Eveland’s presence as well. Whether it’s a simple interaction or full on conversation, Eveland carries a sense of positivity that radiates through the halls.
“He’s very outgoing with students and staff. That just allows him to build solid relationships which he can leverage in a lot of different situations to come up with a better outcome,” Lautenschlager said. “He’s always polite–even in a negative interaction–that politeness is still there. He’s got a great sense of humor [as well].”
With a busy yet impactful life, Eveland goes by a quote he learned a while back while teaching a program called D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), which aims at educating younger students on drug and alcohol usage.
“Life is full of choices, and choices have consequences. It’s important to consider those consequences when you’re making decisions.” Eveland noted.
At the end of the day, Eveland is on duty doing more than just enforcing the law. By building relationships, earning trust among students and staff, and setting an example, Officer Eveland has become a vital part of the East community.
