Michael Burgan, a Glasgow Police Officer, walks to his cruiser after responding to a call at Valero on North Race Street on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
GLASGOW, Ky. – Growing up in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, a small town in Grant County, approximately 50 miles north of Lexington, Michael Burgan later left home to attend college and play golf at the University of the Cumberlands.
From that point forward, his life would change all around.
Burgan is an officer with the Glasgow Police Department, beginning his law enforcement career with the department two years ago. But he stumbled to Glasgow not by chance, but by love.
Laura, formerly Laura Harris, is Michael’s wife of six years. The two met at the Cumberlands. She and Burgan moved home to Glasgow in 2011, just two years before she graduated.
Cycling through a few jobs while working with a local “temp agency,” Burgan discovered a job at Lindsey Wilson College. He served as director of residence life and was able to work small investigations and handle minor disciplinary actions.
That’s when he knew law enforcement was the right pick.
“I went down there and really liked the law enforcement aspect of it. I didn’t really care too much of the desk-work side of things,” Burgan said. “Then, a couple years later, here I am.”
Eventually, he moved from the college to a probation and parole officer position in Bowling Green and subsequently a position with the Glasgow Police Department.
“So, I’ve seen what it’s like when someone’s being supervised on the street. I’ve seen what it’s like being on the inside of a prison,” Burgan said. “And, I see what it’s like to initially get charged with a crime. So, I’ve seen the whole life cycle of criminal activity.”
After moving home with Laura, Burgan was offered an opportunity at the Glasgow Police Department. That one opportunity gave way to not only a job but a career.
“I don’t have any intentions of ever leaving. I like Glasgow, and I enjoy it,” Burgan said. “They gave me an opportunity. They didn’t really give me a job; they gave me a career. That’s something I’ve always looked for. I’ve worked a lot of jobs in my life, so I finally found a career. I’m thankful for that every day.”
But, it’s also a job that never promises tomorrow. Some days are full of smiling faces and moments of heroism. Other moments put the human mind and physicality to the limit.
“That’s scary to think about,” Burgan said. “When I drive in to work every day, that’s the first thing on my mind – am I going to make it home today and see my little girl and wife?”
The Burgans observe the dangers of police work, but the thought of leaving life behind at this point is inconceivable. Life for the 31-year-old man is something precious and that’s part of the reason he chose law enforcement.
“When you put on the badge, it’s not just putting on something shiny. It comes with a purpose.,” Burgan said. “It comes with a certain role model attitude you’ve got to have with it. It’s something not taken lightly.”
Pinning on the badge and uniform usually happens at home for Burgan, as does with most officers.
There are two shifts with Glasgow police work: night and day. From there, the force is divided into an A team and B team that rotates officers, and two dogs: Zeke and Joe.
The day shift sees a lot of traffic accidents and traffic stops. The night shift tends to be more exciting, with frequent domestic situation calls and complaints.
But policing Glasgow, and any city for that matter, includes more than arresting people for infractions.
“Putting somebody in jail and violating their rights makes no sense to me,” Burgan said. “And I’ll tell anybody, I’ve taken a lot of good people to jail, just people make bad decisions. They’re human.”
While riding with Burgan, the “excitement” of the day came in small ways. A vehicle accident along Happy Valley Road may have taken out the sign of a local business, but the drivers involved in the wreck walked away without injuries.
A woman attempted to pick her mailbox up that had fallen in the way of traffic along Columbia Avenue.
A man parked his motorcycle along an area sidewalk after his tank became empty while driving the bike.
A child was involved in a custody dispute and parents had become angry.
All of these instances involved worry, stress and even danger, but because of the presence of an officer, the situations were either corrected completely or alleviated.
Burgan turned on his cruiser’s blue lights and helped the woman from the roadway before placing her mailbox back on its base.
Burgan stopped to see that the man without gas had help on the way.
And, officers arrived and defused the situation with the angry parents.
“You know, I do want to make a difference,” Burgan said. “If I could impact somebody’s life in a positive way, even in my entire career, I say it’s well worth it.”
That’s the foundation of Burgan’s job and his character, but largely the foundation of many officers’ careers.
Officers are spouses. Officers are parents. Officers are siblings. Officers are friends. Officers are humans.
“Policing’s just like any other job,” Burgan said. “You’re going to have your bad days, unfortunately, but it’s just like any other job. It depends on how you carry yourself.”
Carrying himself in a professional manner at work is a portion of the task. The other portion lies at home. When he closes a shift, Burgan picks up another responsibility – fatherhood. He and his wife Laura have a daughter and are expecting a baby boy in March.
“Being a father is probably the best thing you could ever experience. It’s a lot of fun. It’s hard at times. It’s frustrating,” Burgan said. “It is a lot of fun. I really enjoy it. Enjoy it so much, I want another one.”
As young parents, the Burgans are nervous but excited. For that reason, Burgan said he’s determined to perform well at work for citizens and his family.
“Right now, I’ve got another one on the way. That’s my main priority,” Burgan said. “Making sure I get home and making sure everybody I work with goes home and no innocent people get hurt. It’s important to me.”
He may be young in age and his career, but Burgan’s outlook on law enforcement lies in his discovery of a solid career.
“This is something that I’ve come to find that I really, really enjoy – something I want to do,” Burgan said. “It’s a pathway to my future.”