BAY MINETTE, Alabama — Baldwin County Public School students returned to the classroom Wednesday, Aug. 11 and it was also the first day back for four School Resource Officers from the Bay Minette Police Department.
BMPD had three returning and introduced one new “student” as Officer Paul Adams will now serve Bay Minette Elementary School. Adams has worked with BMPD for more than two years.
He was hired on as a patrol officer in 2019 and this will be first year with the SRO division. Adams is a Foley High School graduate and attended Faulkner University in Montgomery on a football scholarship. He later worked for Rivera Utilities and was also enlisted in the Florida Army National Guard where he had the opportunity to deploy to the Horn of Africa for a year in 2015.
“I’m very excited for what my future holds working at BMES and excited to build new friendships with the students and staff,” Adams said.
Bay Minette Middle School will be protected by Officer Jeff Weaver, who is in his third year in this role. Weaver is a 10-year police veteran including five years in Atmore.
SRO Keith LeJoie will now serve students at Baldwin County High School. LaJoie is in his third year with the BMPD and this marks his second year as a School Resource Officer.
Sgt. Kendrick Banks will now serve as an SRO at North Baldwin Center for Technology. Banks has been with the BMPD for 10 years and is in his fourth year as an SRO. He is also a graduate of Baldwin County High (Go Tigers!).
Funded by the Baldwin County Board of Education, the SRO program is a partnership between the school system, local municipalities and the Baldwin County Commission. Prior to this partnership, the City of Bay Minette self-funded one School Resource Officer.
Bay Minette Police Chief Al Tolbert said the School Resource Officers are sworn police officers and so much more. They also serve as problem solvers, youth advocates, school and community liaisons, mentors, counselors, classroom instructors and positive role models. Along with the benefit of police presence being readily available when needed, these Resource Officers will help the police department by eliminating the necessity of calling an officer off the road and into the school should an issue occur.
