photo by Steve VanGunda

Vidalia Police Officer Beverly Metcalfe will be the full-time school resource officer for the Vidalia schools. Metcalfe has 21 years experience in law enforcement.

Vidalia schools to get new police presence

By Vershal Hogan (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Friday, July 25, 2008

VIDALIA — Students in the Vidalia schools will see a new authority figure in the halls this fall, but she’s not a teacher or principal — she’s the school resource officer.

Vidalia Police Officer Beverly Metcalfe will be the full-time school resource officer for the Vidalia schools, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. every day.

She will also participate in parent-teacher organization meetings if requested, and will be available for conferences with students, parents and faculty members to discuss law enforcement and crime prevention.

Metcalfe’s goals are to keep the school safe and to be a mentor for the students, she said.

“Basically, if they’re going to be out and about, I’m going to be there,” she said.

In addition to working in the schools, Metcalfe said she plans to attend after-hours activities at the schools.

“The students there will already know me, and I’ll be able to point out the troublemakers and those students who have been banned from those activities to the other officers there,” she said.

Though there have not been many incidents in the Vidalia schools, Metcalfe’s presence hopefully will deter any future violence other delinquency in the schools, Police Chief Tapper Hendricks said.

The Concordia Parish School District already has one school resource officer, contracted from the sheriff’s office, but it made sense to have a Vidalia officer in light of the other officer’s workload, Hendricks said.

“He has his hands full with the Ferriday schools, and Monterey and Ridgecrest,” Hendricks said. “He is more than welcome to come and assist us, though.”

To become the school resource officer, Metcalfe — who has 21 years experience in law enforcement — had to be post-certified for general law enforcement and also had to complete a 40-hour school officer certification course.

Though she will be present in all of the Vidalia schools, most of her time will be divided between Vidalia Junior High and Vidalia High School.

“At the lower elementary and the upper elementary schools, you can call the parents and they will come up there and take care of the problem,” Hendricks said. “When you get to the junior high or the high school the parents aren’t always readily available.”

Though she will be present on the school campuses, Metcalfe said she would always make sure to work with the school administrators and let them run things.

“It’s (their) school,” she said.

School begins Aug. 11.

“I’m going to do the best I can,” Metcalfe said. “I love children.”