Officer Eddrica Gary: Perry Middle School’s Resource Officer

Eddrica Gary, a police officer with the Perry Police Department, was named the new school resource officer for Perry Middle School in March of this year.

Gary said she was excited about her new title, as it was one of her goals when she started her career in law enforcement.

“Coming on in March I only had about three months to get to know the kids, but now I am really excited to start a full new year” Gary said. “I was hired on to the Perry Police Department in 2016 and they asked me what I wanted to do and accomplish. So I said I wanted to start out with patrol, but my ultimate goal is to become a school resource officer and I am so grateful to be in this position now.”

Gary was born and raised in Warner Robins. She graduated from Houston County High School in 2011. Along with academics, Gary participated in extracurricular activities such as Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and she was a part of the HOCO track and field team. She was inspired to pursue law enforcement because of family members who were police officers and her school resource officer Porter Woods.

“I wanted to either serve in the military or law enforcement,” Gary said. “After I graduated high school I worked for the Warner Robins Police Department as a booking officer for a couple of years, then I was hired on to Perry. But believe it or not, I use to be a problem child growing up and my school resource officer Porter Woods from Warner Robins Police Department really made an impact on my life. He helped make sure that I was staying on the right path and kept me in check with my schoolwork. That’s what I want to pay forward with these students, giving back and making an impact like Officer Woods did for me.”

Gary’s main priority as a school resource officer is providing security. She will also teach the Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program, but she wants to do more than that.

“I want to be a mentor and a friend for these students,” Gary said. “I want them to know that they shouldn’t be afraid to come up to me. I will be that shoulder they can lean on, listening ears and support. Unfortunately national news has shown a negative light on police officers over recent years, but just get to know us and you’ll see that we are human too. Perry is an amazing community; they are very supportive of us. Again I am really excited to start the new school year and can’t wait to build relationships with the students.”