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Corporal Vence Meadows – a Coweta County
Sheriff’s Deputy and School Resource Officer at East Coweta High
School - has been named the Georgia School Resource Officer of
the year. Meadows was awarded this honor by the Georgia Association of School Resource Officers, at their organization’s conference in Helen, Georgia. It was the first year GASRO offered the state-wide recognition. Meadows – who has served with the Coweta County Sherriff’s office since 1996, and has served as an SRO since 1999 – was nominated for the honor by Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager and Lieutenant Stephen Crook, who oversees the sheriff’s deputies who serve as SROs in Coweta schools. “I’m honored,” said Meadows. “I appreciated being nominated.” ‘I’m very proud of Vence – for this honor and for his service,” said Sheriff Mike Yeager. “I’m proud of the work that all of our SROs do.” Yeager and Crook joined with GASRO Executive Director Karen Gray and GASRO Treasurer Ruby Mitchell Smith in officially bestowing the state-wide honor on Meadows on Friday. The Coweta County School Resource Officer program is a joint effort between the Coweta County School System, the Coweta County Sherriff’s Office and the City of Newnan Police Department. The program places a uniformed law enforcement officer – reporting to their respective agencies – in each middle school, and two officers in each county high school. A number of officers also serve as DARE officers, and split duties among the school system’s elementary schools. Lt. Crook oversees the 13 Coweta County Sheriff’s officers who serve as SROs or DARE officers. The city of Newnan Police Department provides 5 officers in school located within the city’s limits. “Corporal Meadows has a great working relationship with East Coweta High School,” said Crook. ‘I’ve received numerous complements from parents and teachers in reference to his professionalism and the job he does there. The students and ECHS feel comfortable enough with him to bring him their concerns, and genuinely respect the job he does. He greatly deserves to be recognized in this way.” Crook has worked with the SRO program in Coweta schools since 1994. “We’re a resource to the school and to students, but it isn’t just a way to maintain a safe school. It’s an opportunity for students to see law enforcement early on in a very positive light,” said Crook. “SROs develop a rapport with students and parents and teachers, and in turn they get to know us as people. Students will come to us and tell us things that they might not tell a counselor or a teacher. They can come to see an SRO as a strong, positive role model.” Meadows is exemplary in that role, he said. His peers agree. In addition to being the first ever Georgia SRO of the Year, Meadows’ honor was bestowed on him by a majority vote of his fellow officers state-wide.  Coweta County Sheriff’s Deputy and East Coweta High School Resource Officer Vence Meadows – above, center - has been named the Georgia School Resource Officer of the year by his peers. Above, left to right are Coweta County Sherriff Mike Yeager, Georgia Association of School Resource Officers Executive Director Karen Gray, Corporal Meadows, Lieutenant Stephen Crook of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, and Georgia Association of School Resource Officers Treasurer Ruby Mitchell Smith. |