MADISON, Ind. (WDRB) -- A school resource officer will take over the Madison Police Department as Madison Consolidated schools battle a vaping problem.
Incoming Chief John Wallace wants police officers to strengthen their relationship with local schools. He also has plans to tackle drugs and illegal vaping in the community.
"This is a true Midwest value town. You get what you see here," said Wallace. "These people are genuine. They'll do anything in the world for you."
It's why he's never left his hometown.
"Look at this place. It's gorgeous," he said.
City of Madison, Indiana
But the scenic city of Madison isn't without problems.
"It's important to really take the narcotics issue head on," said Wallace.
The incoming chief said meth is the community's "drug of choice," and he will direct officers to be more active in the county's drug task force.
The former sheriff and SRO also plans to partner with Madison schools, as the district cracks down on illegal vaping.
"The problem with a lot of the vapes is, we really don't know the contents. Most of them aren't made in this country. How are they regulated in countries in which they're made? We can only guess," he said. "Sometimes if you don't know, and you are guessing, that guess could be deadly."
This month, 14 people were sent to the hospital after getting sick from possibly tainted vaping products.
"We don't really know the long-term effects, and that's what's scary," the former school resource officer said. "We're trying to educate them on one end, but also be stern with our enforcement on the other. Hopefully, a combination of the both will put a stop to it."
That starts with a vaping safety meeting for parents from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Ivy Tech Madison campus.
"We'll give them an idea of what to look for and the knowledge that we've been able to gain and pass that on to them," Wallace said.
As chief, he also plans to bring back "block watch" programs and put more officers on foot and on bikes, to make the police more approachable.
"Unfortunately, a lot of times you only hear about the bad things," Wallace said. "But on a day-to-day basis, you're not going to find any better people than what we have right here in Madison."
Wallace's first official day on the job is March 1.
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