The

Peachtree City Police Department has announced that a

school resource officer will be assigned to J.C. Booth

Middle School beginning this fall, the first such officer

at a middle school in Fayette County.

The move is

being made in cooperation with the Fayette County Board

of Education, according to a written statement by the

police department.

"We

are now able to assign a highly qualified police officer

to bridge the gap that exists between elementary school

and high school," said police chief James Murray.

The

department already has a resource officer at McIntosh

High School and DARE officers at each elementary school

in the city.

"I

feel it is imperative that the police department take an

active role in middle school to provide a safe learning

environment, and to act as a role model for our most

important asset - our children," said Murray.

Officer

Heather Horne, a two-year veteran of the police

department, has been selected as the new school resource

officer for Booth Middle after extensive interviews by

police and school officials.

She grew up

in Peachtree City and attended Booth, where she was a

cheerleader, before graduating from McIntosh. She earned

a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education

from West Georgia College and was a teacher for a year

before joining the department.

Horne, who

is a certified Advanced EMT, will attend the school

resource officer certification program at the Georgia

Police Academy in July.

"We

are extremely fortunate to have an individual who is

qualified in both police work and education," said

Murray. "Officer Horne will be an outstanding school

resource officer and role model for the school."

The police

department is fully funding the position. A grant has

been applied for, Murray said, but the city decided to go

ahead with the position whether or not the grant was

issued.

Booth is

the only middle school in Peachtree City.

<!--

-----------