NATCHEZ &8212; Starting just after Thanksgiving break, there will be uniformed, certified, expertly trained safety officers at every Natchez-Adams school.

They aren&8217;t new faces; they are just official now.

The officers started working at the schools in August when school started. Since August they&8217;ve been working through 40 hours of training with the Mississippi Department of Education.

Tuesday they graduated.

&8220;You ladies and gentlemen are the highest trained (security) individuals in the entire state of Mississippi,&8221; said Bob Laird, director of the MDE Office of Healthy Schools.

&8220;You, as school safety officers, guard the most precious asset we have in the state of Mississippi. You have a great deal of knowledge in the law.&8221;

The officers spent roughly five hours in class twice a month to become certified. Their instructor works with MDE.

Classes were partly bookwork and partly hands-on learning, Morgantown Elementary officer Robert Otkins said.

Training included getting sprayed in the face with pepper spray, &8212; a lesson they all remember well &8212; in order to show them exactly what its power can be.

&8220;(The training) prepares you for any situation that can arise,&8221; Otkins said.

This year was the first time school officers underwent such vigorous training and became certified, Natchez-Adams Director of Operations Wayne Barnett said.

A new state law passed a few years ago now requires the certification for all school security personnel.

Because the local officers have finished the training they are legally backed by the MDE if any lawsuits arise.

Several central office personnel and principals were on hand for Tuesday&8217;s graduation ceremony.

&8220;You bring safety to our district,&8221; West Primary Principal Cindy Idom told the group when she thanked them for their work.

There are about 300 certified school safety officers in Mississippi, Laird said.

Natchez High School and Central Alternative School now have two. Robert Lewis Middle School, Morgantown Elementary, McLaurin Elementary, and Frazier and West Primary Schools have one each.

The safety officers are in addition to two School Resource Officers at NHS and RLMS. SROs are employees of the Natchez Police Department who work at the schools during school hours.