VIDALIA, La. – Readying for his shift, Vidalia traffic officer Jessie White holstered his weapon and attached a radio and handcuffs to his belt.

His uniform, a Christmas gift, was finely pressed; his badge, polished until it shone. Then, with goodbyes to his family, White walked out the door of his Miranda Drive home to his patrol vehicle — a bike parked in the driveway.

At 5, White just might be the town’s youngest-ever police officer.

Though not officially sworn as an officer — he has not yet started kindergarten, much less attended certification training — he takes writing speeding tickets quite seriously.

And why is enforcement so important? &uot;If they keep speeding, they might wreck,&uot; he said matter-of-factly, his hand on his toy pistol

&uot;We need more folks like him coming into law enforcement in the future,&uot; said Capt. Frank Webb, traffic director for the Vidalia Police Department.

White’s commitment probably stems from the fact that he learned the ropes from his grandfather, Assistant Police Chief Bartell Schneider, who is one of Vidalia’s veteran officers.

&uot;(Jessie) hangs around the police station a lot,&uot; said his father, Bob White. &uot;He knows all the officers, I&160;think, by name.&uot;

White doesn’t have a radar gun, and he cannot hope to catch speeders on his bicycle, so White asks his neighbors which speeding car belongs to which person at which house.

Then, when he sees the person getting in or out of the vehicle or stopping it to talk to someone along the side of the road, White rides up to them and writes them a ticket on a dime-store notepad he keeps in his back pocket. Sometimes regulars stop to get their tickets as well.

&uot;Actually, he can’t write yet – he just starts kindergarten next Monday,&uot; said White’s mother, Cindy White. &uot;But he can scribble.&uot;

So the speeder cannot drive away, White carefully places his bike in front of the person’s vehicle before writing him a ticket.

There is a good possibility White will retire when Schneider retires, possibly next year, White’s parents said. Still, White said he plans to continue his new career for the foreseeable future despite the demands of kindergarten.

&uot;I’ll work the afternoons,&uot; White said, adding his advice to those who visit the Miranda Drive area in the future – &uot;slow down.&uot;